Origins
by Elielephant
Summary: One journey's end is another's beginning. Something sinister is brewing above the clouds and the players have collected the pieces for the chess game over all magic. Join the King's Alliance as they charge headfirst into their next adventure to the mystic realm of Origins.
1. Chapter 1: Visions

**So. Here is the sequel of both Bones and His Heir. I'm really excited to get a new story going since those two have been completed, so I hope everyone who is returning is, too. :)**

**For those new people out there, well, you might be a little confused, but I'm reintroducing characters (mainly OCs) so that your not completely in the dark. You'll catch on quick if you don't want to read 100+ chapters of Bones or His Heir...or both.**

**P.S. Sorry for any mistakes that were missed.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece, but plot and OCs are mine. **

* * *

Chapter 1: Visions

_The smoke was heavy; dark grey dense against the blue tinted clouds and reeked with the stench of sulfur. The smog swirled with the harsh rush of wind, spiraling faster and faster with crumbled stones and flickering ash ignited with a tiny flame. Then the vapor lifted just enough to reveal a dark silhouette._

_The black figure stood tall, stalking slowly from the howling spiral of fog to reveal glowing aqua tattoos against exposed grey charcoal skin and slick ebony army strapped to his form. Chest plate gilded with silver designs of death scenes intimidated the innocent, and gauntlets with metal claws fidgeted eagerly from fresh crimson stains. His collar of black fur fluttered just as violently in the wind as the long cape that cascaded down his back with every step he took._

_A deep throated chuckle arose from the man's tattooed neck, a feral glare in his reptilian eyes as he brushed a shaggy strand of ivory hair away. "Time," his voice was but a whisper against the winds, his tone calm and cruel as he latched a hand around the neck of the person before him, squeezing life until there was a sharp gasp of disembodied breath. "The time has come, Benevolency," and with a wicked grin reaching from ear to ear, he raised a hand high above his head. "For your end," and then everything dripped with red._

She woke with a harsh gasp, shooting up in a tangled mess with the covers and sheets instantly. Her blue eyes were wide, pupils dilated and shaking as her heart raced a mile a minute. She shakily placed a hand to her neck, her fingertips brushing against nothing but cold sweat against her pale skin. But feeling lingered, the feeling of cold steel fingers around her neck.

She shuddered, the kiss of winter's breath drawing her back to reality. The cold calmed her slightly, her breath evening out as she glanced around the familiar room she went to sleep in. The glass panes of the window had a thick layer of frost, and the sill was steadily getting taller and taller with snow. There was a faint orange glow lining the freshly fallen snow, the blaze from the fireplace giving a warm glow.

The fire was weak though, but bright enough to highlight her tiny kitten at the foot of the bed, and the lumps in the bed that belonged to her sleeping companion laying underneath the heavy covers.

"Ameria…?"

Despite the voice being so soft, she still jumped; her skin prickled with goosebumps. Quickly, she turned to see her sleepy boyfriend prop himself up on his elbow and look up at her in groggy confusion. The blankets slipped off his shoulders as he moved, revealing the many tattoos lining his tan skin, the symbols of his crew and Jolly Roger.

"What's wrong, darling?" He whispered in concern as he curled a lock of her ebony hair around his finger and gently tugged, nudging her to lay down again.

"I—it was just a bad…dream, Law." Ameria sighed uneasily and laid back down beside him. "Just a bad dream," and she curled up close to him. She smothered her face to his chest until all she could smell was the sweet stench of his person rather than the faint stench of brimstone and all she could feel was the warmth of his skin and the tiny scratch of his facial hair against her forehead.

Law raised a brow, and then pushed her away slightly so he could hook the side of his finger under her chin and forced her to look him in the end. "You don't sound convinced," he stated firmly.

Her eyes glanced away from his gaze and she exhaled quietly, closing her eyes with knitted brows. "It felt so real," she murmured with a quivering lip and cringed. "I could do more than just see and hear. I could feel them, smell them… It felt dangerous."

Law's brows furrowed together in worried thought. "Was is some type of vision? I experienced something like that before…"

Ameria shook her head. "No," she replied slowly. "I think it really was just a dream, a realistic nightmare."

"How are you so sure?" Law asked with a quirked brow of curiosity.

And with all seriousness, Ameria answered: "Because I think in the background I saw a giant Barney and Baby Bop who asked where BJ was."

* * *

The moonlight filtered in through the frosted window, the faint pitter-patter of heavy snow tapping against the glass. The pale glow illuminated her face along with the wild glow from the fireplace. The light of the flames highlighted not only the peaceful expression she wore as she slumbering away underneath the crimson colored fur of his coat, but also the two pups curled up at his feet. Despite the soft feeling of the dogs' fur against the exposed skin of his thigh, his full attention was on his girlfriend. He stared at her, watching her sleep soundly regardless of how things were spiraling out of control. Well, maybe he was the only one that thought about it like that.

He exhaled deeply through his nose, closing his eyes to cut off the image of his girlfriend sleeping soundly at his side.

How could he, Eustass '_Captain_' Kidd, get his girlfriend, Roland Gabriella, _pregnant?_ It wasn't an unnatural occurrence, yes, he was well aware of that aspect, but he didn't think he would happen to him. Not now, at least. He was also blatantly aware that all Gabriella wanted was to start a family; it was her dream for Pete's sake. It wasn't something he was going to deny her either—unlike him dealing with a certain _someone_ concerning a certain _something_—but he would admit he wasn't ready. He wasn't ready in the slightest.

And even if he was ready, there's the shithole of the world his kid would be born into. The World Government didn't take kindly to pirates having children. They murdered Portgas D. Ace just because he was related to Gold Roger. Not because he was the Second Commander of Whitebeard's entire fleet, but because he shared the blood of the former Pirate King.

He was a Yonko now, and he was pretty damn sure what would happen if the World Government got a whiff about the pregnancy. Nothing good. If the World Government did something to the baby…Gabriella would never be the same. Kidd didn't even want to think about it.

Kidd shook his head and opened his eyes, his mind sinking back into reality and leaving thoughts of a pessimistic future behind. Then he turned back to Gabriella, his hand brushing over her brow to sweep away her ginger bangs.

The sensation of his touch made her mumble, her words distant in her dreams as she rolled over in her sleep, the fur of his coat shifting in the movement to expose her chest. The neckline of her nightshirt showed off not only the glaze of her tan skin, but also her scars.

The three long scars that ran down from the side of her left cheek all the way to her navel. The three long scars she got when the claws of a tainted Marine attacked her that fateful day.

Subconsciously, Kidd traced the pink grooves dug in her skin with a finger and frowned; he always knew he could have prevented it if he only paid more attention.

This time, his touch stirred her from sleep and slowly, her eyes fluttered open to reveal golden irises. Sleepily, she turned to look up at him, a faint smirk on her lips. "Touchin' me in my sleep? Now, that's so naughty." She gently teased, her hand lazily slapping against his bare chest.

Kidd frowned grew darker, his gaze turning away from her slightly.

The reaction caused her smile to falter, the corner of her lips drooping into a frown as she reached out her hand to touch his cheek. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Kidd answered, so not to worry her, and he ran his large metal fingers through his wild crimson locks. "Just thinkin' too much probably," he added with a weak smirk towards her.

The grin returned to her lips and she giggled lightly. "It's always a bad idea to think deeply before bed." She mused.

"_Heh_," Kidd grunted, closing his eyes and shaking his head. "Yeah, guess you're right 'bout that."

"_Ceh_," Gabriella huffed, rolling over onto her side again and pulled the blanket up close to her chin. "I'm always right."

"Not really," Kidd scoffed quietly under his breath as he shifted to lay down beside her.

"What'd you say?" Gabriella narrowed her eyes at him, her expression steaming with aggravation.

Kidd chuckled, smirking wryly. "Nothin' at all, babe," and he leaned forwards to kiss her gently upon the cheek.

* * *

The sun overhead gave the powdery snow a blue tint, the shadows a solid hue whereas the patches the sunrays hit glistened bright white. Footprints broke the clean pattern on the ground, the streets of the narrow winter city flattened with a thin layer of snow already by noon. Law leaned against the coarse bark of a hibernating tree, his arms folded over his chest so he could bury his bare hands into the fur of his coat's sleeves.

He observed the people as they passed by, noticing that they seemed to be restless about something, but it seemed to be a bad omen to speak of it aloud since standing there for at least an hour got him nowhere. He sighed deeply, tilting his head back and stared up at the sky, watching the white wisps of clouds travel by with the wind. But then something obscured the image of the skyline: a pair of twitchy round ears covered in white fur.

"Captain," the voice of his first mate pierced the air, and when the pirate captain looked down, he saw the loyal polar bear standing before him.

The bear towered high above him, clad in his black boiler suit and heavy brown boots to cover his hind paws. Resting against the bear's shoulder was the pirate captain's weapon—his trusty nodachi—and he supported the blade with a paw so it wouldn't fall to the snow.

"Yes, Bepo?" Law pushed away from the tree's trunk, dusting snowflakes from his shoulders and chest.

Bepo held out his free paw, though it was occupied with a sturdy paper cup secured with a plastic lid nestled on top. "I got you coffee," the polar bear replied, handing over the drink. "Sal made a pitcher and suggested I give you some. I know you don't wear gloves and I don't want you to get a cold."

"That's thoughtful," Law smirked gently, the warmth from the boiling liquid traveling through every layer of his body, skin, muscle, bone and nerves. "Thank you," the pirate captain nodded towards the polar bear and held up his drink before taking a sip. The coffee was still piping hot, burning his tongue and esophagus, but he didn't care; he enjoyed the warmth heating his frigid soul.

With coffee in hand, Law worked it was from the tree into the busy streets with Bepo in tow. He felt the gaze of the townsfolk on him as he carried on his way, women steering children away and men eyeing him cautiously. News of Raftel had spread like wildfire to all corners of the world, so it didn't surprise him that people new even more about him than they previously did. Someone they really didn't want to screw with despite his failure of gaining the title, and this applied to more than just him, but everyone that fought and survived that battle.

Such as—well, speak of the devil.

Law came to a halt, and so did his rival when they eyes locked. His amused grey irises met with irritated amber ones, and the smirk playing on his lips only caused his rival to sneer. Eustass Kidd was not happy to see him; seemed he was still sore about what happened that day on Raftel. Law thought that the redhead would have simmered down after three months, but apparently not. Sure, Law was upset, too, but there were other things to look forward to in life…

"Captain," Bepo leaned over to whisper into his captain's ear. "I think he's still mad about what you did to him…"

Oh right, there was that, too. Law should have figured it was that. He laughed twenty minutes straight at the redhead until Urouge almost crushed him with his obelisk pillar. Despite almost being killed, it was a good time. He actually found him smirking at the memory like a fool, and he would have even started chuckling if it weren't for the redhead.

"Stop smirkin' like that or I'll rip it off." Kidd snapped the threat, almost barking like an angry canine.

And just to piss him off, Law ever so politely tipped his hat with only his middle finger, flipping the redhead the bird as he mockingly gave him his regards. "I apologize you have no sense of humor, Mister Eustass."

Kidd's cheeks blister scarlet red with rage from the insult, his fist trembling and his mechanical fingers twitching with eagerness to strangle. The redhead growled, hostility pouring from every pore in his body, so much that the people walking through the street either steered clear of the confrontation or made a large circle to nervously see what would happen. Then Kidd took a step forward, the crunch of his boot's sole make the circle fan out even more, drawing out a murmur of concern from the crowd.

Law stood firm, his stance shifting for battle and he threw aside his cup of coffee, the remaining drops melting the snow into steam. Then he held out a single hand, the signal for Bepo to hand over his weapon, and he felt the cold bite of the metal case against his bare palm.

Kidd's sneer darkened, the power from the redhead's devil fruit coursing to the surface of his skin. Violent pulses of energy sparked in streams along his skin, the magnetism causing every metal object within rage to shudder with power.

Law gritted his teeth together as the grip over his own sword became more intense and he pulled it back close to him, fingers fidgeting against the hilt of his blade.

There was dead silence, only the wind daring to make a sound as the breeze picked up the newest sheet of powder atop of the snow, the mist raining down upon them.

Then it all came to a screeching halt.

A gauntleted hand came down upon the redhead's shoulder, making him freeze entirely and the battle paused before it could even start. Kidd shrugged the hand away and then whipped his attention to none other than his own first mate.

"What're you doing, Killer?" He hissed through clenched teeth.

The masked blonde crossed his arms, his fingers tapping against the old scars that tainted his tan skin. "Don't make a scene," was all he said, eyeing the redhead with the blank expression his mask gave off.

Though the world could see the masked blonde's eyes, the redhead seemed to get the picture and he drew back begrudgingly.

The crowd gave a deep sigh of relief, but Law scoffed in disappointment. "Looks like someone grew a conscience," but then the surgeon looked towards the redhead, his grey eyes gleaming with mischief. "Or they became a _chicken._"

_Them were fightin' words_, and Eustass Kidd turned to stone when he heard the key term. Mechanically, the redhead turned to the surgeon, his expression distorted from fury. "_What'd you say?_"

Law smirked, amused he was able to get the redhead so wound up with just a simple word. "Do you really want me to repeat it, Mister Eustass?" The surgeon inquired, his voice a soft purr that made the redhead quake like an explosion in a corked bottle. "Though, I'd be more than happy to, it you'd like."

The circle of spectators grew stiff with anxiety when they saw the surgeon provoked the redhead back to a murderous intent. Law felt the case of his nodachi quiver in his palm, purple sparks popping along the metal, but before Kidd could even utter a single word, Killer had another hand on the redhead's shoulder to stop him.

"Don't," was all the masked blonde said.

Kidd looked completely conflicted; on the outside he wished only to charge headfirst into a brawl, but something deep inside his mind told him otherwise. It must have been pretty big if it stopped Eustass Kidd from massive destruction, and the murder of the surgeon.

Law merely shrugged in respond this time. "Whatever," he sighed with a lax smirk. "Just know you made me waste my coffee for nothing," and he eyed the patch of stained snow with tiny brown crystals.

Kidd narrowed his eyes viciously towards the surgeon, but other than that, the redhead made no attempt to attack again.

Law waved a hand dismissively towards the redhead and his first mate. "Then I'll take my leave," and he started to move forwards, but something stopped him.

The surgeon's brows furrowed together when he felt something resilient and elastic wrap around his waist, and when he looked down, his eyes opened wide in shock. It was an arm, and knew who's arm it was. Before the thought of escape could process through his mind, the familiar screech of an old ally rang through the atmosphere.

"_**TRAFFY!**_"

_Ssn~ap!_

Law grunted loudly when he felt the brutal impact of a certain someone ramming into his back, squeezing the life out of him with a hug. He and the parasite rolled through the snow, the half melted sleet sticking to the fur of their coats. When they finally stopped, Law shoved his hand into the opposing face, his brow twitching uncontrollably with irritation.

This shit was older than dirt, and sadly it would never end.

"_Get. Off. Me. Straw Hat._" Law hiss through clenched teeth, a vein pulsing from his brow when he heard Kidd barking in the laughter.

Luffy merely grinned blissful unaware that he just caused not only physical damage to the surgeon, but also mental damage to the townsfolk that were present. He was the King of Pirates, after all. Despite the fact that the rubber captain was genuinely harmless unless he was extremely pissed off—for just reasons—people still thought him a tyrant and wished him dead.

And right now, Law was one of those people that wanted Luffy to fall in a ditch, but he made up for it.

When the rubber captain heard the boisterous laughter of the redhead in the background, Luffy snapped his head around, his eyes wide and his jaw dropping. "You're here, too!" and with a cheerful grin, he lunged his rubbery arm towards the redhead.

Kidd inhaled sharply as the elastic limb wrapped it around his muscular waist three time, constricting against his form. Then with one tiny yank, he went flying, slamming into the ground and then dragged through the slush until he snapped up against Luffy and Law.

Eustass was no amused by the action and he rammed his palm into the rubber captain's cheek, squishing Luffy's face with the help of the surgeon.

"_Riy rhisted roo rgris!_" Luffy stuttered his words through scrunched up lips.

"You are an annoyance, Straw Hat." Law bluntly insulted and then removed his hand mercilessly pressing against the rubber captain's cheeks, but then reared it back to whack Luffy upside the head.

"_I despise you._" Kidd seethed sharply through his teeth as he removed his hand from the rubber captain's cheek, but only to replace it with the cold, hard knuckles of his mechanical fist.

The impact forced the rubber captain's head to fly back, but it only snapped back thanks to his devil fruit ability. Without a care in the world, Luffy blissfully grinned, unaware of the hostile situation he was in, mostly due to the mood of Eustass Kidd.

Instead of backing off, Luffy just happily laughed and wrapped an arm around each of the other captain's necks. The action forced cheeks to touch, and overall, gave off an uncomfortable feeling. "I've been lookin' for you guys!"

"I see." Law dully replied, glaring at the hand on his shoulder and then pinched the elastic skin between his forefinger and thumb and peeled it away. "But I'm afraid I have…other matters to attend to," and then he quickly stood up, brushing snow and sleet from the fur coat. From the corner of his eye, he saw Bepo rush towards him, the polar bear visible worried about his captain's condition, but Law just waved him aside. The only thing that he could say was damaged was his pride; rolling around in the snow with one's rival isn't a pretty picture.

"I don't want to talk to you," Kidd bit out harshly, shrugging off the rubber captain's embrace and swiftly got to his feet, Killer instantly at his side.

"But I need to talk to you guys about something!" Luffy countered sternly, the rubber captain mustering up the most serious expression he could. "It's important," he stated with arms crossed over his chest.

"I have things to do, Straw Hat," Law repeated firmly, a mild glare directed towards the rubber captain before he turned on his heel to leave. "Come, Bepo."

"Yes, Captain," the polar bear nodded, taking the nodachi from his captain's grip and rested it against his own shoulder.

"I'm done with this shit," Kidd scoffed and turned his back on the rubber captain. "I gotta see someone else," and he started on his way with Killer at his heels.

"_Gum-gum…_" the infamous words rang out, making the four leaving stop in their tracks as a pair of rubber limbs rushed out pass the two captains, trapping them in place.

"_Shit…_" Law cursed.

"_Fuck…_" Kidd groaned.

"_**ROCKET!**_"

And then they were gone in a blink of an eye, soaring through the air until they crashed through a dense stone wall. Well, this wasn't the first time it happened to them.

Kidd was the first to emerge from the pile of rubble, the redhead grunting loudly as he threw the rocks from his back. Then Law crawled out from the debris, coughing the dust from his lungs as he tried to stand. Though, it didn't help when Luffy popped out from rocks to make pebbles rain down upon them. Smoke obscured the scene of where they were, but one voice rang out.

"_Luffy!_ Why'd you do _that?_ You let in all the cold…"

Kidd's eyes opened wide when he heard the familiar voice and he waved his mechanical arm to clear the smoke to see that it was who he thought it was. "Red Haired Shanks…?"

The Yonko blinked in confusion from his spot on a blush purple couch, but then a grin grew on his lips, the expression forming wrinkles that appeared to make the scars over his eye shrink. Then he waved sun kissed hand towards his fellow ginger. "Yo, Eustass," Shanks chuckled. "Long time no see, eh?"

Law eyed the two redheads curiously, but then from the corner of his eye he picked something up of his own interest. He stared in shock at the opposing couch. "Benadeer?" It was the third Yonko, and also his girlfriend's uncle. "What're you doing here?"

"I was asked to come," the wolf captain replied simply as he lounged back in the cushions with folded arms. "I was told it was important."

"That's because it is!" Luffy shouted, fists planted firmly to his hips. "It's super important!"

Kidd groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "So what's the big deal, Straw Hat?" He asked. "I'll give you a chance."

"Well—" Luffy started to explain, but he was cut off by the door opening.

"Oi, Straw Hat who else are we waiting for? I have places to go."

Then through the open doorway came Scratchman Apoo, the musician waltzing into the room. There was silence, only the howl of the wind, the movement from making the extra fabric of his robes flutter with his long braided hair. Apoo eyed each and every person in the room, but his gaze lingered on Kidd, and then he suddenly he put a hand to his mouth, trying to stifle a laugh. Pointing a finger towards the redhead, he snickered: "I still remember what Trafalgar did to you."

Kidd snapped, multiple veins popping along his brow. "Oh fuck you prick," he shook his head slowly, but the expression of rage rapid intensified on his face. "I'm gonna kill you."

Apoo held his arms out wide, welcoming the challenge. "Go for it, lovey," he jeered with a smirk.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Shanks got up from his seat quickly and tried to calm the situation down. "Let's take it easy, eh? No need to fight…" but the words of the Yonko had no effect on the two.

Almost every metal item in the room hovered in the air, and Shanks desperately tried to stop the pair without using too much force. Though, it was getting to that point where Shanks was about to go full out.

"…I'm leaving."

"That's a wise choice."

The new voices made Law snap his attention to the two figures that was in the corner of the room. "_Hawkins?_ You were here? And _Drake_, too?"

The fortune teller Basil Hawkins was bundled up with layers of thick white fur, hands deep in his pockets, and his maroon dyed scarf moved with the wind coming from the hole in the wall. And by his side was none of that Red Flag X Drake, the ex-Marine walking with a hand on the hilt of his saber, just in case. What the fuck? What the fuck was going through Straw Hat's mind?

Hawkins merely huffed as the fortune teller stalked towards the second door in the back of the room with the ex-Marine at his heels, the two other captains disinterested with the situation. Hawkins's gloved hand was on the doorknob and he was about to turn it, but Luffy let out a roar of frustration.

Then his rubber limbs lashed out, wrapping around everyone and everything to lock them in place. It was like a web of arms, and Luffy didn't care that everyone tried to fight back, but like a snake constricting its prey, he squeezed all the captains into submission.

"**I HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY!**" He bellowed at the top of his lungs and he huffed steam from his nose. "**So you'll all stay and listen! I had a headache for two weeks because of this!**"

_Whoosh~_ only the wind dared say a word.

"Okay Luffy…" Shanks was the first to break the silence with a nervous smile. "We'll all listen, right?" and he looked to the others, and each of them gave a slow nod in agreement. "So," Shanks looked back to the rubber captain. "Tell us what's on your mind."

Luffy took deep breaths in and out, gulping in air to calm himself down before he could even attempt to speak. Once his skin faded from of red and went to his natural color, he was able to crack a grin, proudly stating. "_We're gonna remake the King's Alliance!_"

* * *

**Beta read by praeses**


	2. Chapter 2: Adventure!

**So, um, hi. **

**I solely underestimated the length of my chapters for this story. Yeah. Basically it's combining the length of a normal Bones and His Heir chapter (4000-5000 average) and smacking them together, which adds up to...over 9000 and close to 10,000. So, I hope you all know that I love you, my duckies and honey bears, to death because I will probably be writing chapters this long from now on. I poured my blood, sweat and tears into this, losing many hours of sleep because I couldn't stop writing once I started. **

**Yes, this is how much I love you all.**

**You're welcome.**

arodli91: Lol, yeah, I do like my Barney joke...and it's not the last time we'll me seeing it. :)

Alpenwolf: Wait until you read_ this_ chapter. :D

Hitoshirezu Ryu: Yup! Drakey-poo will have a starring roll in this story! He has very important plot points. :)

praeses: Eh, I gave your response, like, days ago. xD Love you ducky, thanks for the editing help. :)

Volleys-chan: I don't know if Leanne will be here, considering in my Drake story I had said Bones and His Heir didn't collide with The Girl Who Shoots Things. So...she probably won't be, but I might change my mind, you never know.

Bellz14: :)

xXMysteriousCupcakeXx: Eh, Kidd won't be a tragic father, but he will have issues... Lot's of issues, just 'cause I'm wickedly evil like that.

ThexWhitexPhoenix: Your question will be answered here, though I think you know the answer considering Luffy_ is_ scary when he wants to be, after all.

Guest: Thank you, and yup, I had Origins planned out for months, actually so I just need to pump out chapters. xD

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece but plot and OCs are mine.

* * *

Chapter 2: Adventure!

The deep grimace in the mirror's reflection was depressing, and what made it even more miserable was the fact that it was hers. A hand over the thin chain choker with spikes around her neck, fingers brushing against the ruby that resided in the front; the cold feeling made her sigh.

This was punishment, it was something she had to undergo. Yet the sensation of feeling so empty was unbearable.

A husk of her former self; she felt she didn't have the right to call herself a necromancer when she was in his condition. She didn't have her spirits anymore, the siblings forced into a deep spell of sleep when her magic was cut off, hells, she didn't even have her familiars anymore. Tanker and Shnell just two piles of bones, and they along with the six vessels laid dormant in a satchel borrowed from her Uncle Bennie.

Closing her eyes to hide the glaze of distress gleaming in her blue irises, Ameria exhaled heavily; it was like a new weight was pressed against her shoulders.

_Miserable_, she was miserable.

"Don't look so glum," a voice from the door spoke up. "Doesn't suit your pretty face."

The bone mage weakly opened her eyes once more, sluggishly turning her head to look at the door of the inn room.

Law was resting his shoulder against the frame of the open doorway, the surgeon still cloaked in the heavy ebony fur of his winter coat. He crossed his arms, his nodachi in hand and tucked under his arm. "Seeing you like this for three months is affecting everyone," he then told her, his lips pressed into a thin frown. "Everyone's worried about you, especially Aichki."

Ameria avoided the concerned expression in his eyes and looked back to the mirror, watching her hands fiddle with the hem of her hoodie in the reflection. She tried to ignore Law, focusing on the perky image of the Heart Pirate Jolly Roger printed on the yellow fabric over her chest. But then the surgeon strolled over, entering the mirror's reflection beside her.

Law rested his nodachi against the dresser and then placed a hand on her shoulder, leaning over to place a gentle kiss to her cheek. "You know," he whispered softly into her ear. "I think I can take this off." He told her confidently, his slender tattooed finger brushing against the cold metal of the choker.

That got the bone mage's attention and she whipped her attention focused entirely on her boyfriend. They were locked in a silent stare down; Ameria completely shocked and Law completely serious. "You…you…" Ameria stuttered, wide eyed. "You can't do that…" she trailed off, her brows knitting together from deep thought. "…Can you?"

A faint smirk pulled at the corner of the surgeon's lips. "I'm sure my devil fruit can," he proudly stated. "It is my operation room, after all."

The bone mage shifted nervously on her feet, her gaze leaving his and she stared at the corner of the room. "B—but…this is my punishment—"

Law slapped his hands to her cheeks, cutting her off and forcing her to look him directly in the eye. "I think you've suffered enough," he corrected coldly. "You suffered with the burden of your mistake for three years while you tried to fix it. Now that everything has been set free, I believe you shouldn't be held down by chains anymore."

"But I…" Ameria murmured, unsure. "But I don't know what'll happen…"

Law smirked, confident in his abilities; magic centered or not. "Trust me, darling. I can handle this," he assured sweetly. "Just hold still…"

The warmth of his hands canceled out the bitterness of the metal around her neck. A tiny moan escaped her lips when her hands cradled his wrists, and their foreheads gently tapped together. The calm pace of his breathing relaxed her as he mumbled Room softly, the rush of a tiny breeze rushing between them. She shivered in the sudden chill against the exposed skin of her thighs that her dress and knee-high boots did not cover, but Law stepped closer the heat of his body radiating to hers.

"Ready?" He asked her calmly.

Ameria nodded, closing her eyes and allowed Law to do is work.

"What are you two doing?"

The sound of the new voice made her jump, and the heat of Law's hands left her neck as he pulled back. The bone mage opened her eyes, the transparent blue sphere of Law's devil fruit vanishing quickly as the familiar face in the doorway walked in. "Nothing, M—master," Ameria stuttered, sheepishly rubbing the skin of her wrist and looked down at her feet guiltily.

The grandmaster clad in his brown necromancy robes observed the scene he walked upon, a disappointed expression twisting his young facial features, despite his old age. Aichki then quirked a brow, the grandmaster eyeing the suspicious couple with a stern glare. "That didn't look like nothing," he stated the obvious; his tone stern and he hooked his hands to his hips, the balled up fist just above the golden masked attached to his belt. "It looked like someone was trying to remove the Broker Choker."

"Mister Aichki…" Law smoothly cut in, a nonchalant smirk on his lip. "As a doctor, my job is to help those in need, even if it's a mental issue rather than physical. The Broker Choker is putting a tremendous strain on Ameria because it is a memory of her sins, and it causing her stress and anxiety on her body."

"I'm aware," was all the grandmaster said as he folded his arms over his chest, covering the amulet that hung from his neck.

"Everyone is, Mister Aichki," Law corrected. "The stress Ameria is under is not only affecting her, but everyone around her. As you know, the crew is very worried about her condition, and you, Mister Aichki, said so yourself."

"I did say that," Aichki agreed with a nod.

"Then, Mister Aichki," Law looked towards the grandmaster pointedly. "You should know that her condition is rapidly getting worse since she has been having frightful nightmares, one centering on her death and she woke up in a cold sweat. In the morning she told me that she had difficulties getting back to sleep because of it. Though, she's had troubling with sleep for weeks now. I have to give her sleeping pills, plus medication to deal with the anxiety."

"I know," Aichki nodded. "I see her take it every morning."

"And it does little to help." Law sighed, shaking his head. "True the medication helps most, but when the object of the anxiety is clear cut and directly attached to the person, I doubt anything will," then he glanced at the grandmaster coyly. "Save for taking off the item causing the anxiety."

"…" Aichki was silently, tapping his finger against his forearm repeatedly. "That may be true," he agreed.

"Therefore," Law was wrapping up his argument. "A small break from the punishment should be in order—"

"_No._" Aichki snapped angrily, glaring the surgeon. "Your argument stands firm, that may be true, but that isn't how it works, Law."

"This is my punishment…" The bone mage spoke up again, her head still hung low. "I have to do this."

"But I can take if off without the Council even knowing," Law looked to Aichki as he explained himself. "Nothing is out of my control."

"That's where you're wrong." Aichki sighed. "I'll admit you do have the power to remove the Broker Choker physically, but you can't take away the enchantment."

"…It's enchanted?" Law repeated slowly.

"Yes," Aichki nodded. "The chain is fairly easy to break, but if the enchantment senses that the wearer is trying to remove the choker, then it will react. The spikes—" then the grandmaster pointed towards the bone mage's neck. "—will extend and pierce the flesh until it breaks."

"A punishment within a punishment," Law scoffed, rolling his eyes. "But I still don't see how this is relevant to my removal," the surgeon continued. "It'll be much different than pulling it off with brute force. It'll be delicate when I do it; Ameria will be unharmed, I assure you."

Aichki exhaled sharply through his nose. "You're not grasping the concept of an enchantment," and then he shook his head. "The enchantment will seek out its host by any means…and as fast as possible."

Ameria swallowed the thick lump in her throat.

Law got the message loud and clear now; it didn't need to be explained. "So I can't do it."

"I told you that from the start," Aichki frowned. "She'll die if you try…so just leave it be. Only nine more months and then it's gone, Child," and the grandmaster turned a soft cheek together the bone mage, a sympathetic smile on his lips.

Weakly, Ameria smiled in return. "I know."

Law between the two mages, biting his lip in frustration and then slapped a hand to his forehead. He groaned, his free hand taking the bill of his cap and removed it so this other hand could slip back through his disheveled ebony locks. "I hate this." He grumbled bitterly. "I really hate this."

"We all do." Aichki pursed his lips. "I think we hate it more than Ameria does…"

The bone mage rubbed her arm, looking off to the side. "It's not that bad…" she tried to brush it off; she never really saw how badly it was affecting her crew to see her like this.

"Don't even." Law snapped, whipping around to face her with a glare. "Don't even go there. I don't like seeing you like this, Ameria."

"Like Master said: only nine more months." The bone mage smiled.

Law exhaled sharply through clenched teeth and he replaced his hat back on his head. He opened his month to speak, but nothing came out. A soft growl rumbled in the back of his throat and he pinched the bridge of his nose. "What are you doing here anyway, Mister Aichki?"

The grandmaster took no offense in the sour tone of the surgeon and calmly answered. "I can because you asked," Aichki reminded him. "This morning you wanted to speak to me about something, but I had to make a few calls to Aldon so I couldn't."

"Ah," Law's sour mood lifted as he looked towards the grandmaster. "That's right. There is something important I need to talk to you about, but I need to do some shopping for medical supplies. …I need to get more of Ameria's prescription."

"…I see." Aichki nodded slowly. "I guess we'll talk about it along the way."

Law bobbed his head up and down then turned to the bone mage. "Want to tag along?" he asked.

Ameria shook her head. "I can't," she answered. "Petunia is taking me shopping today. She wanted to cheer me up, so she got Cleon to give her some money, a lot from what I heard."

Law quirked a brow, curious. "Petunia got that stingy old coot to give up some cash like that?" he mused, a hand on his chin. "She's more devious than I thought…"

"Or he wants to help Ameria feel better," Aichki chimed in.

"And she asked politely for a bit more." Ameria added. "She's sincerely innocent."

"Just like how you used to be, Child." Aichki looked up to recall the distant memories with a fond smile. Then he sighed, looking back down at Law. "Then she met you."

Ameria glanced back and forth between grandmaster and captain, then she bluntly said to her master. "You make it sound like a bad thing."

Aichki's eyes flickered open and he blinked them repeatedly, mildly shocked.

Law stifled a laugh behind his hand. "Ahem," he cleared his throat. "I guess we'll be taking our leave them," and before he left, he turned to the bone mage leaning in for a kiss.

Ameria met him halfway, going onto her tippy-toes to share a kiss with the surgeon upon his lips. She moaned softly at the warmth, the tiniest taste of coffee still lingering on his lips.

The faint sound made Law chuckle lightly as he pulled away with a smirk, but then his eyes opened wide and he clicked his tongue, remembering something. "Oh, and before I forget," he added. "Your uncle is here, and he wanted me to send a message to meet him…

The bone mage gasped, her blue eyes wide. "Uncle Bennie's here…" and then her expression did a 180 and she gently punched the surgeon in the arm, snapping: "Why didn't you tell me sooner!" then she scooped up her winter coat and bolted out the door.

* * *

"_Ouch!_"

"Dannie, honey, you need to stop squirming."

"But I don't like it Gabriella~!"

Gabriella chuckled lightly, patting the boy that stood between her legs as she sat on the edge of the bed. With his back turned towards her, she lifted the hairbrush from his head, the long bristles hovering just above the boy's messy blonde locks. "You should take better care of your hair then, honey." She told him with a motherly tone to her voice and she started brushing his hair again. Trying to be gentle, she smooth the blonde frizzes as the bristles untangled the locks, but she had to tug a bit to get passed the knots. "Then it wouldn't be so messy, right?"

Daniel's head jerked back with each tug, the boy being overdramatic about a simple hair-brushing. "But Killer doesn't brush his hair everyday…" the boy grumbled, marginally annoyed with his situation, and he rested his elbows back on her thighs.

"Well I'm sure if Killer's Mama was here she'd make him brush his hair every day." Gabriella countered calmly.

"But he doesn't." Daniel huffed.

"But he also has longer hair than you," Gabriella pointed out. "Plus, you like it in a braid. You need to have brushed hair for that, honey."

Daniel mumbled under his breath, his cheeks tinted pink by Gabriella's giggling behind him and he didn't try to argue with her again; she'd just win anyway. She may not be his real mother, but she was pretty close to it.

There was a soft breath of silence between them; Daniel ceased his whining and Gabriella continued to brush the boy's hair. Once Daniel's hair was clean of nasty little knots, Gabriella then started to braid the boy's blonde hair, tying it off with a hairband that was around her wrist.

"There," Gabriella slammed her hands onto Daniel's shoulders, looking over so the boy could see her smile. "All done, Dannie."

"Thank you, Gabriella." Daniel nodded and returned the kindness with his own grin, stepping away from the close embrace. "Despite the fact that I don't like my hair being brushed, I like it when you braid my hair."

Gabriella scoffed playfully, hands on her hips as she eyed the cabin boy in mock offense. "Oh really, now?" She inquired curiously. "If you don't like brushing your hair then maybe we should chop it all off!" She teased with a mischievous smirk. "Musket is excellent at cutting hair," and then Gabriella lashed out her hands, wrapping them around the boy.

Daniel shrieked, a tiny hint of playfulness hidden under his cry as Gabriella snatched him up in her lap and held him down. Still, the cabin boy struggled to get away, but Gabriella was stronger than him.

"Oh come on out, Musket~!" Gabriella sang out sweetly, the tune instantly bring out her loyal familiar that was sleeping in the closet.

Why her familiar liked sleeping in the closet, she would never know, and it was kinda bad if she didn't since she was a summoner mage after all. Maybe it was merely a part of the goblin culture, considering her little baby Musket was a winged one. Though, he never slept in the closet before… It must have been her doing…or rather, ahem, her and Kidd's doing.

Poor baby.

She would apologize later. "C'mon Musket," Gabriella laughed, one arm around the cabin boy as her free hand held out his braid. "Dannie needs a haircut~"

Daniel screeched like a banshee, wiggling in her grasp and tried to push her away, but something about his actions were halfhearted. He knew she was merely joking. But Musket, on the other hand, didn't get the hint.

The winged goblin landed softly on the padded covers of the bed, his scaly-horned head tilted to the side in confusion. "I don't understand, Master…" Musket replied, scratching the side of his cheek with a claw nervously. "It doesn't seem nice either since Daniel doesn't look like he wants a haircut…"

"Oh, silly Musket," Gabriella chuckled as she released Daniel from her hold, the cabin boy rolling out onto the covers. "I was only kidding, Dannie knew that."

"Oh!" Musket gasped in awe, claws covering his gapping jaw, but then his little brows furrowed in confusion and he pursed his lips. "Then why did you call me out…?"

Gabriella chuckled and held her arms out wide. "'Cuz I wanted to see you, baby~" the summoner mage happily sung, wiggling her finger towards her familiar.

Musket stared at her with wide black eyes. "Really?"

"Really," Gabriella giggled with a smile.

Musket giddily grinned and quickly flew instantly into the summoner mage's arms, smothering his face to her chest and purred like a happy kitty cat.

Gabriella chuckled at the reaction of her familiar, but a part of her felt a little sad; had she been ignoring Musket? Well, that was a depressing thought, she even frowned when it came to mind. She needed to apologize to her familiar for a bundle of—

_**Smack!**_

—sadly that would have to wait.

The door flew open, slamming against the wall behind it so the room trembled from the vibrations sent out. The shaking caused Daniel to jump, the cabin boy shooting up from his lax position lying on the bed. Instinctively, his hand whet to the belt around his waist where his two short swords were housed and his fingers twitched eagerly on the hilt of one. Musket's reaction wasn't as protective, the familiar yelping in fear and darted from the summoner mage's arms and behind her back to hide. Gabriella, on the other hand, remained calm; she knew who it was that carelessly kicked the door in.

"I hate 'im!" Kidd hissed murderously as he stormed into the room, waving a crumbled up newspaper in his hands. "I hate 'im and them, all of 'em! Goddamn it!" and then he threw the papers upon the bed in a fit of rage.

Daniel calmly relaxed, retreating back into a seated position and crossed his legs. Then he picked newspaper, smoothing out the wrinkles so he could read the headlines and front page article. "It's a special edition, hot off the press, too… Hey! It's about the King's Alliance!"

"The King's Alliance?" Gabriella repeated slowly, her head cocked to the side and she crossed her arms. "I thought it was disbanded after the Battle of Raftel?"

"Straw Hat had us get back together." Kidd snapped, steam pouring from his ears; he was ready to blow a gasket soon. "Only an hour ago and it's already spreading across the world. Fuck, what's up with that?"

Gabriella's brow rose and curiously she sneaked a peek at the paper, seeing the large picks of the former members of the King's Alliance, but also two new faces. "Oh," she gasped lightly. "It's Shanks."

"Apparently he's known Straw Hat for years." Kidd scoffed, rolling his eyes.

"And X Drake…?" Gabriella pointed to the image of the former Marine. "Why's he in the alliance? His he also friends with Luffy?"

Kidd was silent and he refused to speak, his ears blistering red.

Gabriella eyes him curiously. "Is that why you're mad, babe?"

"Tch!" Kidd scoffed, his attention sharply turned away from the summoner mage. "You know what that moron Straw Hat said?"

"What'd he say babe?" Gabriella inquired calmly.

"He brought Drake on to be his right hand man in the alliance." Kidd bit out harshly through clenched teeth. "Sayin' that when he's off on adventure," he air quoted the term. "Drake'll be temporary King."

Gabriella's eyes opened wide in shock. "Really?"

"…It's in the paper…" Daniel slowly said, holding up the newspaper and showed her the words printed in ink.

"Yes, really?" Kidd barked, whipping around to face her with a hateful scowl. "He's treating this whole thing like a joke!"

"Now, Kidd…" Gabriella got on her knees and shuffled over to the edge of the bed so she could place a soothing hand to his stiff bicep. "I'm sure Luffy isn't taking this as a joke. He's not as dumb as he looks…in most cases. Maybe it has to do with his Grandfather! Garp and Drake were in the Marines together and all; the connection probably comes from there."

"It does _not_," Kidd retorted angrily. "Straw Hat told us the reason and it has nothing to do with his old Pops! If it did then maybe I'd be more understanding, still pissed, but understanding. But what he told me made me pissed as fucking bloody hell!"

Gabriella stared at her simmering boyfriend, her palm feeling his muscles clench from fury and his skin slick with sweat from rage. "Kidd…" she kept her voice smooth and calm. "What was his reason?"

Kidd's scowl went darker, his eyes narrowing into two furious slits and with upmost seriousness, he said: "The reason was because Drake can turn into a dinosaur."

Gabriella felt her jaw hanging open as she stared wide eyed stunned as what was said. "You're kidding, right?"

"_No,_" was all Kidd said with a sneer.

"_Whoa!_" Daniel gasped, a twinkle in his blue eyes and his cheeks beaming red from awe. "Really? X. Drake can turn into a dinosaur? That's so epic!"

Kidd shot the cabin boy an irritated glare, but his gaze was forced away when Gabriella whacked his arm with the palm of her hand. Her look said: _don't you dare take it out on Dannie._ Kidd then scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Whatever," he huffed in annoyance as he crossed his arms. "I don't care.

Gabriella stared at him.

Kidd glared at her in return and opened his mouth to snap back, but his voice was replaced by another.

"Oh, Kidd. There you are. I've been looking for you."

Daniel was the first to react to the new presence and the cabin boy jumped from the bed, abandoning the newspaper with a grin. "Killer!" He shouted happily, tackling the masked blonde at the legs with a hug.

Killer swayed with the motion of the embrace, but said nothing against it. He merely placed a hand to his boy's head and ruffled blonde locks. Then he turned to Kidd. "I need to talk to you."

"If it's about the paper, don't ask." Kidd coldly warned.

"Compared to this that is nothing." Killer bluntly stated. "I have some dirt you should hear. I'm sure you'll be interested."

Kidd's mood did a 180, his nerves finally at bay thanks to a distraction. "You don't say…" he slowly drew out, placing a hand to his chin in thought.

"Come with me," Killer jerked his head towards the door and gently pushed Daniel away from restraining his legs. "I need to do some things; we'll talk on the way."

"Alright," Kidd nodded and headed towards the door.

Gabriella then quickly got up, one knee still planted on the covers of the bed as her foot slipped to the floor. "Wait, Kidd!" she called out to the redhead.

Kidd took a step back before he disappeared before the corner of the door and looked at her with a raised brow.

"Can you get me something while you're out?" She asked with a sheepish smile. "Something lemony, like lemonade or lemon drops; lemon favored ice cream…"

Kidd blinked, confused. "Why?"

With a smirk, Gabriella folded her hands atop the exposed skin of her scarred stomach. "Baby wants something bittersweet."

* * *

Law scratched the stubble on his chin as he walked and read the newspapers front page news, rather shocked to see what was printed. "I can't believe they took what Straw Hat said seriously…"

Aichki alongside him glanced over, peeking down at the article. "Took what seriously?"

"Straw Hat randomly gave me the title of Yonko." Law answered slowly, brows furrowed in thought. "Since there's one missing considering Blackbeard is long gone, the balance has been thrown off. Straw Hat's the one that took him down, but since he's King…"

"He didn't take the Emperor title," Aichki finished. "And he gave it to you instead."

"Don't really know why though." Law admitted bluntly while he folded the newspaper back up and then buried into the deep pockets of his winter coat.

"Well, what did he say to you?" Aichki curiously asked.

The surgeon tapped a finger to his chin. "It was after the arrangements for the new alliance… Ah, it went something like this: oh, we kinda need a new Yonko, too." Law mimicked the voice of the rubber captain. "Law you can have it 'cause we're friends, and then he did that ridiculous laugh."

"Sounds like he's returning a favor." Aichki huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "But from the record, it seems you owe Straw Hat," and the comment made the surgeon scowl at the grandmaster, but Aichki ignored it and continued on. "There was the help a Punk Hazard—"

"They ruined my plans," Law countered.

"—risking their lives at Dressrosa."

"They didn't follow the plan whatsoever!"

"—the battle of Zo."

"…Okay, he did indeed help there."

"Oh, and the most important one," the grandmaster looked towards the surgeon with a faint smirk. "He allowed Ameria to travel with you."

Law couldn't help but allow a smirk to curl the corner of his lips. Yeah, he really owed it to Straw Hat for allowing Ameria to—at the time—temporarily join the crew. If Luffy had refused then the bone mage would have never joined, nor never became his.

No, Law knew it was fate that they were together. If it wasn't then they would have later, probably at Punk Hazard or Dressrosa. He was sure the meetings would have sparked something. He had faith in that, but luckily it was sooner rather than later. It made his life a little bit—as in a lot—happier despite all the drama.

Then fingers suddenly snapped right before his eyes and Law ripped his mind out of his thoughts. Looking around wildly, he saw that he was still in the winter city of Jackson on the island of Frosty Willows in the New World, not in his dreams.

"You zoned out there," Aichki stated as he replaced his gloved hands back into the pockets of his robes, and then he smirk. "Thinking about the pleasant memories of the past."

"Heh," Law chuckled and smoothly answered: "Maybe."

"Well snap out of it for now," Aichki huffed, mildly annoyed. "I'm happy for you, don't get me wrong, but we still have something to talk about, correct?"

"Ah, yes, yes, of course," Law nodded quickly, getting the hint to move the conversations along. "Mister Aichki, I have a question for you…"

"And what would that be?" Aichki inquired, a cautious gleam in his brown eyes when he saw the look on the surgeon's face.

"Is there I way I can get to_ Regnum carcere?_" Law cut straight to the chase. "I need to go there for something important."

Aichki was stunned into silence. He halted in his stride, his expression blank and pale. Then the grandmaster's brows knotted together. "Absolutely not!" He frowned. "You know the rules of RC. I'm sure I'd be killed if I brought you, and I already dodged a bullet Law, narrowly. I don't want to get into trouble after just getting out of it."

"But this is important, Mister Aichki." Law repeated firmly. "I got a message to go to the Origins of magic. I'm pretty sure since RC's the only magical island I know of, that's what he's talking about."

"Oh yeah." Aichki scoffed, rolling his eyes at the surgeon. "And just who told you this?" the grandmaster interrogated with an icy tone.

"Mortalitas," was all Law said.

Aichki's jaw dropped to the ground, his eyes going wide with the color of white, but then they quickly narrowed in anger. "Are you trying to mock our culture?"

"Of course not." Law defended himself firmly. "I really did get a message to go to RC."

Aichki's scowl did not lighten up one bit as he crossed his arms stubbornly. "I don't believe you. No offense, but it's the way I have been brought up and as an old man that's not about to change."

Law groaned, rubbing his temples in frustration and readjusted his nodachi resting against his shoulder; it felt like the blade was weighing more and more by the second. This was going to take a lot longer than he had hoped. Was the time not right yet but—

_Caw, caw!_

The cry of a crow shrieked through the atmosphere and then suddenly the black feathered bird appeared out of nowhere, as if it flew in from out of thin air. The crow cawed again and without mercy rammed into the side of Aichki's head. At the impact, the grandmaster stumbled, his feet almost tripping over the bird that fell to the snow. But the crow quickly regained its composure, flapping its wings and then perched comfortable on Law's shoulder.

_Caw, caw._

Law eyed the bird curiously, but then he noticed a small note tied to the crow's leg. "What's this…?" he hummed in thought and with his free hand, he pulled the note away. Smoothing it open with his thumb and forefinger, Law glanced at the words and was shocked to see what was written, written in blood no less.

"What does it say…?" Aichki mumbled the question, clutching his bruised temple.

"…Are you sure you want me to read it aloud?" Law warily asked. "You may not like it."

"Yes," Aichki grumbled. "I would read it on my own, but I feel lightheaded and dizzy."

"Alright…" Law replied slowly. "It says:_ Dear Aichki, stop being a stick in the mud, you old coot. I know you are because I'm watching you guys. Right now. Stop giving Captain Fuzzy Hat so much drama; he has too much shit to deal with so don't add to the pile of crap. Allow him passage to RC already. Love, Sane._"

"…" Aichki was at a loss of words.

But there was more, so Law continued. "_PS. Hurry up. I miss you guys. Mostly Glory. And Bas. And that's about it. Bye._"

"…"

"…"

"Well," Aichki spoke up after the tiny pause. "That's only Sane's personal preferences, which is rather creepy and insulting."

As soon as he made the comment, the cawing of another crow flew from nothing and slammed once again into the grandmaster's head. It was the same procedure save for this time the two crows snuggled up close together on Law's shoulder.

There was another note and the surgeon removed it, scanning it briefly and then smirked at what he saw. Bingo.

"What's this one say…?" Aichki slurred, the grandmaster swaying after the double whammy to his temple. "Tell me what is says…"

Law chuckled, a growing smirk on his lips. "Gladly, Mister Aichki. This note says: _Aichki pardon the rudeness of the first message. When I asked for it to be sent I did not expect it to be written like that…or in blood. But the meaning behind the words hold true. Law must come to Regnum carcere; he needs to find Origins. Nothing will happen to you; that I shall promise. Sincerely, **Mortalitas: God of the Dark Arts.**_"

Aichki's eyes opened wide and he snapped from his woozy state of mind and snatched the note from Law's hand. The grandmaster read over it quickly and read the words over and over again, sweat dripping from his brow. "I don't believe it…" he gasped in astonishment. "This really is from Mortalitas…his seal is on it and everything. You can't forge something like this."

Law grinned triumphantly. "Told you so," he just had to say it.

Aichki glared at him, aggravated. "It was the way I was taught," he defended himself. "But you proved it so let's just move on because now I have something to ask of you."

"Yes, Mister Aichki?" Law inquired, amused. "What seems to be the problem?"

"Be a doctor and get me an ice pack," was all the grandmaster said.

* * *

Kidd scanned the area as he walked, the snow streets getting more vacant as he continued his search. The news of the newly reformed King's Alliance was probably all over the world and everyone knew; they didn't want to mess with the allies of the King of Pirates, especially when one was considered a Yonko.

At least it made it easier on Kidd; he had to find that little prick of a surgeon.

After what Killer overheard, he wanted in. He needed something to distract himself from the…baby issues he was currently having. Some may have called it running away, but he would beg to differ. Running away meant he was hightailing it out of Gabriella and the child's life and he wasn't about to do that.

He loved her too much to let his anxiety's get in the way. They'd work it out in the future anyway; they always did. Plus, on one note, he did need an heir to the Eustass Pirate name… He had to keep up the old family tradition, so might as well pop out a kid now and also fulfill a part of Gabriella's dream. That's killing two bird with one stones.

Therefore, going on a little adventure wouldn't be so bad. Now, where had that smug ass wandered off to—

"_**KIIII~DDDD!**_"

The redhead cringed at the voice; so not who he wanted to find at the moment. He was still pissed at this bloody moron for all the bullshit he spewed from his mouth only hours ago.

"_Kidd, Kidd, Kiddly-Kidd-Kiddy!_" Luffy blissfully sung as the rubber captain rushed up to the redhead and clung to his mechanical arm like a child.

"What the fuck, Straw Hat!" Kidd frantically waved his iron arm to break free of the rubber captain's grip. "Stop, and hell, don't call me that! Fuck you, damnit!" and then grabbing Luffy by the shoulder, the limbs of the rubber captain stretched out wide until snap.

Luffy's grasp was pried away brutally. The rubber captain was left limp in the redhead's cold grip on the collar of his winter coat, his arms ridiculously long, unraveled and lying in the snow. "_Zee-onk._" Luffy snorted, and his arms zoomed back into place quickly. Then with his trademark goofy grin, the rubber captain looked back to Kidd. "Oi, where're you going?" he asked.

"None of your business." Kidd snapped in return and let go of Luffy's collar.

The rubber captain's feet plopped to the ground, his sandaled free red from the bitterness of the cold. But Luffy ignored it and instead crossed his arms over his chest with a pout. "You're being mean, Kidd." He was blunt, childishly blunt. "I thought you would be happy, like Shanks and Uncle Bennie. They were really happy to reform the King's Alliance."

Kidd refused to verbally answer the rubber captain and instead he walked away; he had bigger fish to fry.

"Oi! Oi! Wait up, Kidd!" Luffy called out, running after the redhead with gloved hand holding down his trademark hat as he moved. "Where're you going, Kidd? Huh, huh?"

"None of your god damn business," Kidd repeated and quickened his pace.

"I'm looking for Zoro," Luffy bluntly declared. "Have you seen him? He'd been missing for about two days now."

Kidd momentarily stopped in his tracks and stared at the rubber captain in disbelief. "Wow," was all he could say, seriously.

"So Kidd," Luffy perked up again, asking for a third time. "Where're you going?"

Kidd had the striking feeling that the rubber captain would not stop asking until he got an answer, but if he told him then he doubted Luffy would leave him alone. Hell, either way, Luffy wasn't going to leave him; he may have been made out of rubber, but he stuck like glue.

"I'm looking for Trafalgar," Kidd finally gave the rubber captain a straight answer.

Luffy's eyes opened wide. "Really?" he asked in shock. "Why?"

"I have to ask him something," Kidd replied simply. "That's it," the rubber captain wouldn't be getting any more out of him.

"Then we should help each out!" Luffy shouted, an expression of determination on his face. "We'll find them both if we look together! C'mon~!" Luffy screamed as he started to run off into the distance, a plume of powdery snow left in his wake.

Kidd just stood there, watching. This was the perfect moment to completely ditch the rubber captain and he knew Luffy would be none the wiser. It was a piece of cake. Though as soon as he turned on his heel to slip into the shadows of an alleyway, his plan was shattered.

"_**KIII~DDD!**_" Luffy called off into the distance. "_**I found Traffy~!**_"

He slapped a hand to his face, a look of annoyance washed over his expression as he pulled his hand downward. Not how he wanted to spend his afternoon. He already didn't like Trafalgar, and he wasn't liking Straw Hat either for that matter. He was nanometers away from just screaming screw this shit right back at the rubber captain and then walk about.

But, his curiosity got the best of him. He wanted to know about Trafalgar's little scheme.

So, against his better judgment, he started to work his way down the street to where the rubber captain was. Luffy was jumping with excitement, one hand on his head to keep his hat from flying away while the other pointed towards the window of a tiny pharmacy.

Kidd scowled at the sight of the bright red letters naming the store a doctor's paradise. Well, he had to go into a hellhole and find the devil anyway.

Ignoring the excited jabbering of the rubber captain, Kidd moved to the door, pushing the thick glass so a tiny bell rung when it opened. The pharmacist looked up from scanning a stack of magazines from behind the desk, but then he quickly went back to reading.

Well, it looked like they wouldn't be catered to, but Kidd shrugged it off as nothing and moved all. He had work to. Roaming the aisles, he found the surgeon quickly and saw that he had company; it was the grandmaster Aichki if he wasn't mistaken.

At the end of the hall, the two spoke quietly among themselves as Law unwrapped something in packaging that he pulled out of one of the freezers that lined the wall. Then without a shred of regret, he slapped it to the temple of the grandmaster, making him cringe.

"Oi! Traffy!" Luffy shouted, scaring the wits out of everyone, even Kidd was caught off guard. "Kidd needs to talk to you!"

The surgeon blinked, his head cocked to the side in confusion. "I didn't do anything to piss you off again, have I Mister Eustass?" Law smoothly asked with a small smirk. "For if I haven't yet, then why do you wish to bug me?"

Kidd's brows furrowed together; he wasn't going to take anymore bullshit. He wanted to get this done and over with. He sorta needed to get Gabriella her lemon favored food still and he didn't want to go back to a hormonal woman empty-handed.

"Tell me why you're going to RC?" Kidd was frank. "What's Mortalitas got in store for you, eh?"

The look of shock on the surgeon and grandmaster's faces was an understatement to say the least. They both looked like wide eyed fish they just jumped out of the stream and right into the mouth of a bear. They looked back and forth, unable to say anything for a long while and Kidd waited for them to speak, but they were testing his patience.

Then the silence was broken, but not by who he wanted it to be. Luffy was out of the loop, and the flustered look on his face told the three he didn't like it one bit. "What's going on? Isn't Mortalitas that guy Ameria always prays to or something?"

Law then spoke, but he didn't even both answering the rubber captain's question and instead backtracked to Kidd's. "How did you know about that….?"

"Killer told me," was all Kidd said, arms folded over his chest.

"Oi!" Luffy shouted, fists balled up at his sides. "Someone answer my question, please!"

Again, he was ignored at Law growled through clenched teeth towards the redhead. "I believe I don't have to disclose that to you."

Kidd smirked, easily finding a way to pin the surgeon against the wall. "But we're in an alliance again, right?" He started out coyly. "If you're going on an adventure, you should tell us, right?"

Law flinched at the key word, his eyes screaming: _oh no you didn't._

_Oh yes_, yes he did, and Kidd was damn proud of it.

Luffy's ears twitched when he heard the word, his eyes opening wide with shock. Then they turned to stars and his jaw hit the floor. "_**ADVENTURE?!**_" He shouted at the top of his lungs. "Traffy, you gotta spill the beans on the **ADVENTURE!**"

A bead of sweat trickled down the surgeon's brow and the grandmaster was looking a few shades paler. "Let's…speak of this elsewhere," Law murmured quietly under his breath. "Somewhere more private."

"Then let's go~!" Luffy cried with excitement, a large grin reaching from ear to ear.

"Where are we going to talk about?"

There was a moment of confusion and they looked around the area for the new voice added into the mix, but Luffy snapped his head up, seeing his first mate standing above him on the aisle's top shelf. The swordsman's forest green robes were covered in soot along with his short green hair and tan skin. The only thing that looked to be clean were his gold earrings and his three metal katana cases that glimmered in the light of the store.

"Zoro!" Luffy gasped in shock. "There you are! We've been looking for you, Nami's super pissed off."

Zoro groaned, scratching the back of his head anxiety. "Damn…" he grumbled.

"Oh, and Zoro," Luffy continued. "Why are you on top of the shelves?"

The other three men in the room started at the two morons blankly, wondering why that wasn't asked first and also reason for the swordsman's actions.

Zoro crossed his arms over his chest and then looked to the left then right and then left again before honestly admitting: "I have no clue."

* * *

They returned the bar they were in only hours ago, the four of them—Zoro was forced to leave due to a certain money witch's rage—standing in the quiet lobby. The once lively bar had fallen silent save for a clatter of silverware against dishes and a tiny whisper here or there. Even the staff was afraid to speak up, and it was there job to talk to the customers.

Though, it was to be expected when three infamous pirates waltzed in demanding a backroom, but the only private room available at the time still had a gaping hole in the wall. Luffy, however, had the wise idea of telling the owner to just board it up with wood, lots of wood, because that always work. Well, the owner could hardly say no when the King of Pirates plus two Yonko stood waiting in his lobby; he was scared shitless and probably paranoid they would go on a rampage if he said no.

So with many apologizes for a short wait, the owner sent half his staff to board up the hole in the available backroom so that not even a fly could get in. That left the three captains and grandmaster waiting by the door, the distinct sound of hammers against nails in the background.

"So," Luffy broke the silence as he teetered back and forth on his heels childishly, hands folded behind his back. "Can someone tell me who Mortalitas is?"

"No," Aichki was blunt, the grandmaster crossing his arms in defiance and sticking his nose high in the air.

"He's a deity of Ameria's home," Law sighed as he rested against his nodachi like support, answering the rubber captain's question; he'd never stop if one replied.

"Oh, cool~" Luffy grinned brightly. "I didn't know people like that could send hand written notes! Robin always said they were gods that just watched from above or did voodoo vision in your sleep!"

"…He's a little different, I suppose," was Law's simple reply; talk about hitting the mark.

"And let's leave it at that, please." Aichki grumbled quietly, shifting to and fro on his feet uncomfortably.

"_Tch,_" Kidd scoffed. "Why so touchy?" he asked shortly, just like his fuse that was a ticking time bomb. He was probably aggravated that the grandmaster was being difficult with Luffy; the sooner you answer the rubber captain's questions the sooner he asked another until he was eventually satisfied.

"It's a privacy thing, Mister Eustass." Law rolled his eyes at the redhead simplemindedness. "He's not from Gabriella's region, if I'm correct. The rules are a little different. He could die if he says too much."

"What!?" Luffy gasped in shock, his jaw hitting the floor. "Why didn't you say that from the start, old man? I wouldn't have asked if it was like that!"

Kidd and Law rolled their eyes in annoyed unison; they both highly doubted that. Luffy would have just asked why until he got his answer.

"And that's really stupid," Luffy continued, sticking out his lower lip and puffing out his chest. "Who goes around killing people talking about their god and stuff?"

"That's just how it is, Straw Hat." Law sighed, shaking his head; oh how naïve the rubber captain was, how naïve. True it was the same thing in context, but out of context dealing with the magical, it meant a whole lot of issue. "Sadly, that's just how it is."

"Still stupid," Luffy bluntly stated.

"Yeah, yeah," Kidd huffed, crossing his arms over his chest, a vein of irritation pulsing from his brow. "We heard you the first time."

"I'm just telling the truth." Luffy told the redhead stubbornly. "It's stupid," he said for the third time.

"You…" Kidd's fist trembled at his side as he glowered.

Then before an argument could breakout, the owner came shuffling back quickly, rubbing his hands together nervously. "The room is all set, sirs…" he stuttered quietly, ushering them into his establishment as politely as he could. "You remember the way…?"

"Y~up!" Luffy's mood flip-flopped instantly and he nodded with a grin, hands planted firmly to his hips. "I'm not like Zoro!" and then he led the way while the others in the group followed after the rubber captain, shaking their head at the blunt—but true—insult. But then along the way, Luffy suddenly stopped in his tracks, causing a chain reaction of the three behind him bumping into each other backs.

"What's the hold up, Straw Hat?" Kidd barked, pushing the grandmaster and surgeon away. "Don't stop in the middle of walking, dammit!"

The redhead was completely ignored as Luffy turned towards the counter, waving his hand wildly. "_Drrrake!_ Oi, Drake! You're still here?"

The ex-Marine leisurely turned in his seat along with the others around him. However, while the other patrons eyed the four warily, Drake eyed them curiously through the hole that covered his left eye. "Yes." He replied shortly. "I wanted a drink after the events of out meeting."

"I get ya," Kidd easily agreed. "I should have drowned myself in booze after that."

"You should have," Law added his two cents in. "Then you would have died of alcohol poisoning."

Kidd whipped his attention around to the surgeon, brows furrowed in rage and vein of fury pulsing on his skin. "Why you little—"

"We're gonna talk about an adventure!" Luffy cut the redhead off, ignoring the tension brewing right behind him. "You're my right hand therefore you gotta be there!"

Drake blinked, soaking in the demand with a blank expression on his face. Whatever was going through the ex-Marine's mind was unknown, but when he sighed, the others knew that Drake understood the concept that saying no to Luffy didn't work. "Very well," was Drake's response and he rose from his seat at the bar.

Luffy laughed with a grin, and then pointing a finger towards the private room, he ordered his troops to march like a king would, a very young one for that matter. The others just rolled their eyes trying their best to push through the annoyance. True, Straw Hat was a powerful ally and he was a good guy of the sorts, but there was limit. Luffy had caught them all at a bad time and brought up a lot of touchy subjects, therefore things were a little tense between them.

Not that Luffy cared; he was blissfully unaware of the situation and for his sake, it was probably better that he didn't know.

"So what's the adventure, Law?" Luffy asked straight to the point as he plopped down on one of the many couches within the room. He grinned, eagerly waiting for an answer as he said cross-legged on the violet cushions.

Law exhaled softly through his nose and eased his way down on the opposing couch, the grandmaster sitting at his side and also across from the rubber captain. "I received a message to go to _Regnum carcere,_ Ameria's home." The surgeon answered as he rested his blade beside him. "He has a mission for me and I plan to go through with it."

"_Regnum carcere…_" Drake mumbled nostalgically, looking up at the ceiling and with hands in his pockets, he leaned against the wall beside the closed door. "I haven't heard that name in a long time."

"Eh?" Luffy looked towards the ex-Marine, tilting his head to the side in confusion. "You know about it, Drake?"

"He's been to _Regnum carcere_," Aichki clarified. "When he was still a Marine, you came a few times if I remember correctly…"

Drake nodded. "That's correct, and I'd like to go back again if I could…" he trailed off, hinting a small favor.

Luffy—for once—picked up on it easily and happily grinned. "The more the merrier, right?"

Yet, Aichki disagreed with that statement. The grandmaster pinched his nose, flustered. "I'm going to have my ass handed to me for this; I'm sure of it," he grumbled, and the surgeon placed a hand on his shoulder, but the action wasn't comforting in any way whatsoever. "Aldon won't let me get away with this." Aichki groaned. "The submarine is small enough to maybe slip by, but three galleons atop of that…" and he sighed, running a hand through his short brown locks. "The harbor of Fort Locks's secondary fort could never hide them all."

Kidd pursed his lips into a thin line of thought, resting back in the cushions of his own couch. He crossed his arms over his chest and then clicked his tongue. "I think I got a place we can stay."

"Oh really?" Law mused, glancing towards the redhead. "And you would know how, Mister Eustass."

Kidd scowled at the surgeon. "_'_Cause I've been there," and then there was a moment of silence, the others within the room staring at him in shock, safe for Luffy that gave the redhead a good-job thumbs up. Kidd just rolled his eyes and continued. "It's Pompeii, Gabriella's hometown. It's under Calamity's territory so the Council technically can't do anything, especially if we got a god on our side."

Drake's brow rose at the last thing the redhead said. "God?" he inquired, curious.

Aichki quickly waved it aside. "Long story," he brushed the topic off smoothly. "Let's get back to planning."

"So." Law bit his lip in thought. "We have a generally safe place to stay, but the question is how to get there. Traveling all the way to the West Blue is out of the question." Then the surgeon looked to the redhead for answers. "Now, how did you get there?"

"It was only the two of us," Kidd started his explanation. "Gabriella opened a portal and that's how we got there, but it took twelve hours though."

"Twelve hours!" Luffy gasped in awe. "That's a really long time! I thought that portals were like doorways! How does that work, Kidd?" the rubber captain then asked.

"Magic," was all the redhead said.

"Anyway," Law cleared his throat, getting back on topic before Luffy got them off topic. "Mister Eustass, do you think Gabriella could open a portal large enough and hold it open for all of us?"

"Probably not," Kidd bluntly answered. "She hasn't done it before and I'm not going to put any pressure on her about doing it. So don't ask," and shot a glare towards the surgeon.

Law held up his hands in defense. "I merely asked if she could or not."

"And that leaves us without a means of fast transportation." Drake recapped the obvious.

With that out in the open, Luffy's whole body went under a spell of depression. The rubber captain groaned in disappointment. His elastic limbs deflated and he slid from the couch with a heavy sigh.

"Looks like you'll have to take the long way…" Aichki chuckled nervously, scratching the side of his cheek.

The others didn't notice, but Law heard the faint crack in the grandmaster's voice and the surgeon slowly turned to face him. Aichki fell victim to his piercing stare that said: don't be a stick in the mud, you old coot.

"Err…" Aichki murmured. "Well, now that I think about it, there is a faster way…"

Luffy instantly perked up, his limbs snapping back to normal and he leaped onto the table that the three couches surrounded. "Really?" The rubber captain eagerly asked, a giddy smile on his lips.

"Well, yes." Aichki replied slowly. "Fort Lock has an Outpost not too far away. I'm sure with Ameria present they will allow us in, all of us."

Kidd quirked a brow. "You sure about that?"

With a serious expression on his face, the grandmaster nodded grimly. "I'm positive," he responded ominously. "One does not upset the daughter of Manolia Burgrate."

Kidd's eyed the grandmaster curiously, especially when he noticed the surgeon visibly flinch when the bone mage's father was named. _Interesting._

"So…" Luffy drew out impatiently, his body trembling with excitement. "Does this mean we have a plan set?"

"It would seem so, Straw Hat." Drake answered with a faint smirk.

Luffy they let out an enthusiastic roar as he jumped to his feet, pumping both fists into the air and declared: "_**ADVENTURE!**_"

* * *

**Beta read by praeses**


	3. Chapter 3: On Post

Volleys-chan: Law throwing Kidd under the bus...that's a very good idea.

Guest: Law and Ameria will have their time...soon...as in two years (story-wise time).

Alpenwolf: No, it's still not a good thing. Only when it comes to direct family is it good to know Burgrate.

xXMysteriousCupcakeXx: Yup, they're traveling all together in an swashbuckling adventure!

Hitoshirezu Ryu: At first I didn't know how the Luffy and Drake thing would hole up, but seems like it pleased people enough.

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece, but plot and OCs are mine.

* * *

Chapter 3: On Post

The summer-like breeze was welcome after the chilly winds of Frosty Willows. The Kidd Pirates lounged on desk in the sun's warm rays, but they found it hard to enjoy it when they were being followed by rivals. They were in an alliance now, true enough, but that didn't mean they weren't wary.

"Is this really a good idea?" One mate asked the small group surrounding him as he leaned against the railing. Sunken in eyes stared out at the two galleons traveling behind them, the ships owned by the pirate captains of X. Drake and Monkey D. Luffy. Then he turned his gaze to the bow, the waters before them holding the untraditional vessel of Trafalgar Law's. "All the big shots together in one place draws a lot of attention…" he stated warily, and his red tinted skin inked with scarred thorn tattoos shuddered under the movement of his lean muscles stiffening.

"Don't gotta clue, Heat," was the answer from the second person to speak. "Don't gotta clue," he repeated, an irritated tone in his voice as he flicked a long lock of orange hair from his brown eyes. "For all we know Trafalgar could backstab us. He looks like the type, y'know?" He then scoffed and crossed his arms over his chest stubbornly.

"You never liked doctors in the first place, Scotty…" A third replied, cracking the back of his head to ruffle his ebony locks as a trickle of sweat rolling down his cheek pale cheek.

"What'd you except, Matt?" Scotty huffed, his thin brow twitching in annoyance. "When a doc screws up one too many times on your arm, it's time to get pissed. Everyone on that crew is a bunch of backstabbers."

"Now…" a smooth voice added to the mix, a tiny tsk of disagreement in the deep tone. "I'd like ta' think differently there."

"Eh?" Matt looked over his shoulder, his brow raised slightly. "What do you mean, Bedros?"

Bedros tipped the edge of the black leather cowboy hat down, casting a dark shadow to hide the dark glimmer in his crimson eyes and showcase the twitchy smirk of amusement on his lips. "Don't think everyone one on Trafalgar's team is bad," he admitted with a shrug. "Ya just gotta be open minded an' all."

Scotty rolled his eyes. "Yeah right, you stupid stone devil." He scoffed, annoyed. "We all know it's 'cause you have a crush on Bones."

When the Marine-given nick-name of the bone mage was mentioned, the stone devil's head jerked back in shock. The shadow covering half his face disappeared thanks to the sunlight, and it revealed the scarlet blush on his cheeks.

Scotty snickered at the sight of the flustered stone devil. "_Hah,_" he chuckled. "Hit the nail right on the head, eh?"

"_Tch,_" Bedros tsked, the heat of his embarrassment spreading to his pointed ears, and subconsciously his hand reached out, snatching a bottle of rum that was in the hand of one of his crew mates. "Damn lookout," he growled coldly, and then he mercilessly threw the bottle.

Scotty dodged the bottle with ease, the glass flying passed his shoulder with room to spare and he smirked. But when the shatter of glass behind the group along with the yelp of women entered their ears, every face went paler then fresh snow on an early Monday morning. Mechanically, they all turned their heads in the direction of the sound, sweating bullets at the sight of the bottle of rum in pieces at the feet of the crew's navigator and both summoner mages.

Chamberlain, the usually calm navigator, looked unamused by the rum that stained the hems of his black pants and boots. Nor did he looked pleased at the fact that his loyal mutt Kilrain was lapping up the liquid eagerly with his tongue. He glared at the group through shaggy bangs that covered his dark eyes, and his pale lips pressed into a thin line. Chamberlain was the sort to give off an aura of silent anger, but that could be handled easily.

It couldn't compare to the look of Madeline, the longtime friend of Gabriella. Despite her feeble appearance, the basic body shape of a mere stick hidden in her black summoner's cloak, the thin summoner mage could get aggressively violent, especially considering Gabriella's current situation.

"_What in the hells!_" Madeline snapped, her short hair framing the expression of fury on her face. Then stomping her foot to the small puddle of alcohol on the deck, she continued to shriek like a banshee. "You guys are rude! Rude fucks, I tell you!" She insulted bluntly, pointing an accusing finger towards the group.

Granted the thin summoner mage could be a beast when angry, but nothing was scarier than Gabriella.

She was the source of their silent wariness. They all knew she was pregnant, Kidd made that loud and clear, literally. The entire island must have known because he screamed it out in complete shock at the top of his lungs; and the redhead most definitely had a set of iron lungs. It had explained the summoner mage's drastic mood swings and sudden sickness in the past, at least, but didn't prepare them for the massive hormonal bipolar condition.

She could snap because of this mishap, and they didn't want to see her become a horned devil that could eat a man alive._ Not again._

Gabriella stared at them blankly, blinking her golden eyes in confusion. Then she glanced down, inspecting her usual outfit stained with splattered of rum. Her violet shirt was covered in a thin layer of tiny droplets and the dark denim of her jeans and leather of her worn boots were soaked in the stench of the liquid.

"…" She had gotten the worst of the spill, and when she looked back at the group again, her eyes made them flinch, expecting the worst. Cocking her head to the side, her ginger hair swaying with the motion, she eyed them in confusion. "What's wrong with you guys?" she asked calmly.

"Err…" Scotty nervously pressed both his forefingers together, a guilty expression on his sun-kissed face. "Y—you're not mad, are ya…?"

Gabriella's thin brows knitted together. "Why would I be mad?" She questioned in return. "It was an accident, right? You weren't aiming for me," and she looked to the stone devil, waiting patiently for an answer.

Bedros nodded vigorously. "I meant to hit that slimy bastard, Abbie," and he jabbed a finger towards the lookout.

"_O—oi!_" Scotty shouted in shock.

Gabriella placed her hands on her hips, eyeing the group of rigid pirates that laughed anxiously at the comment. "You know…" she started to say, watching the men grow stiff at the firm sound in her voice. "I'm on my cravings phase."

The men stared at her in shock, but then they all sighed in relief and wiped the buildup of nervous sweat from their brows.

Though, the summoner mage cast their reactions off as nothing. "Well, I gotta go, Mads. I need to change." The summoner mage turned to her still sizzling best friend and placed a hand on her shoulder. "And calm down, it's not a big deal."

Madeline huffed, crossing her arms over her nonexistent chest. "This is a very big deal, Gabs. You know that," and the thin summoner mage sent the ginger an annoyed glare.

Gabriella set the concern to the side with a wave of her hand. "Don't worry too much 'bout me," she told the thin summoner mage as she walked towards the door nestled under the quarter deck. "You'll get tired."

"_It's my job as a best friend!_" Madeline called out.

Then the summoner mage was out of earshot, the sounds of the crew below deck taking over anything said out in the open air of the deck. The laughter and shouts drowned out everything, safe for one thing. Down the hall where the captain's quarters laid, was the roar of the redhead. Currently, he should have been making arrangement the three commanders of his fleet, and she figured he would have a few problems with, err, certain people.

Basically, Kidd wasn't happy, but then again, he hadn't been happy for a few days now…

Cautiously, she opened the door and peeked in through the crack. She saw Kidd sitting at the desk, the redhead's cheek blistered crimson from rage as he screeched into the receiver end of the trembling den-den mushi before him.

"Can it Anna!" Kidd barked to the wife of his first commander. "I don't give a shit 'bout how you feel! We're in the King's Alliance again; deal with it!"

"_You fucking, moronic, brute of a man that has no sense of anything about pride and dignity in this pirate world._" The voice of Anna came from the den-den mushi, the little snail mimicking the look of rage of the woman screeching bloody murder right back at the redhead. "_I hope you die—_"

The woman's insults were cut off abruptly, like a hand muffled her voice as another voice came into play. "_That's enough, dear…_" the tone of the man was soft. "_Sorry, Boss. But anyway, as you were saying?_"

Kidd pinched the bridge of his nose, massaging the skin of frustration. "We're in the King's Alliance again," he started to repeated himself. "Plus, I'm going to Gabriella's home and I don't know how long'll be gone. You're in charge Owen, not your stupid wife, alright?"

"_…Understood,_" Owen replied calmly, ignoring the shriek of his offended wife in the background. "_Do you want me to talk to Block and Donavan about the situation?_"

"Nah," Kidd shook his head. "I already talked to Block and Oz. I plan to call Donavan next."

"_Then I'll leave you to your work,_" Owen said and then hung up, the dial tone of the phone replacing his voice.

Kidd sighed, leaning back in his chair with a groan and rand a hand through his crimson locks. Gabriella then took this moment to step fully into the room, and the creaking of the door made the room full of life. Her babies, Hamish and Ezio, on the bed woke up instantly, the pups' heads rising and then both stared barking happily at the appearance of their mommy.

Kidd whipped around in his seat, his eyes wide from surprise, but then they settled back down when he saw who it was. "Oh, it's you." He murmured quietly.

Gabriella's brow arched at the curious comment and tone. "You didn't want to see me?"

"It's not that," Kidd shock his head. "Killer said he'd get me when we got to the Outpost, but I'm nowhere near ready…"

"Ah." Gabriella clicked her tongue. "I see. Well, I need to change 'cause I'm covered in rum…" and she looked down at her stained pants and boots.

Kidd quirked a brow. "Do I even want to ask?"

"It's not bad," Gabriella chuckled lightly. "I wasn't drinking it or anything."

Kidd huffed, waving it aside with a tiny grunt and went back to his own work.

Gabriella shrugged off his disinterest as nothing; she was getting sick of the smell of alcohol, seriously. The stench was giving her a headache. During her craving phase, the smell of anything would either make her sick or hungry; there was no in between. At least it was better than when she was in her bipolar phase; that's when everything pissed her off or made her burst into tears. No one liked that phase, and sadly it was always a surprise when it came around.

No wonder the crew was acting like a bunch of scared ninnies when they accidentally got rum on her clothing.

Right now she couldn't fathom why someone would get so mad, but she was pretty sure if she was in her bipolar phase she would be able to think of some bullshit reason.

Luckily she mind was clear of illogical thoughts and she did what a normal person did when their clothing got dirty at an unexpected time: she changed.

Though what to wear… Her closet and drawers were jammed back with clothing, and as she pondered over the many combinations, she overheard the conversation between Kidd and his third commander, Donavan. Well, considering she was the first thing brought up in the chat…

"_So where is the most gorgeous Exotic Scarlet, Boss?_" The slick tone of the third commander asked smoothly. "_I wish to hear the sweet little songbird's melody._"

Gabriella groaned in annoyance, crossing her arms and she looked over her shoulder.

Kidd turned to her, shrugging; dealing with Donavan was like a lost cause. "She isn't here," Kidd blatantly lied. "And seriously, stop talking about my girlfriend like that. It's annoying as hell, man."

"_I can't help it, Boss. You picked up a real winner there. I'm rather jealous since you—_"

"_Enough,_" Kidd snapped angrily, pounding his fist to the desk's brittle surface so it shook. "Don't talk about that," then the redhead exhaled sharply through his nose to calm himself down. "Anyway, I have something important to talk about…"

Gabriella tuned out the conversation after all, her mind solely going to her clothes. Maybe a dress would be a nice change; she hadn't worn one in quite some time after all. Humming silently to herself, she pushed away hanger after hanger to find the right dress for the occasion. The occasion being a nice summer-like day. It was hard to believe that it was only early spring, the time of year when the weather was supposed to be fickle with bitterness. The Grand Line can really screw with a person's sense of the seasons. At least after getting used to it one didn't get as sick as often due to dramatic temperature change.

So maybe a strapless dress would be nice, and over top she could wear a cardigan. Despite the summer-like quality of the weather, the wind could make the world a bit chilly after all. Layers, next to shoes, were a girl's best friend; screw diamonds. She couldn't even wear diamonds, and even with her enchanted gold pinkie ring she still didn't wear them. It was just a force of habit now.

Diamonds aside, she focused on her search which lead to her pulling out one of her simple strapless dresses. Her thumb and forefinger rubbed the light fabric, the solid color of crimson red complementing the color of her tan skin. It was a pretty dress, but sadly it was one of the many she had bought and never wore; a bad habit that Kidd really hated and wished she would break. Though, slowly but surely she was starting to wear some things, like the beautiful a sweetheart neckline dress in her hands.

With a smile, Gabriella placed the hanger on the knob of the closet door and then began stripping down to nothing but her underwear. Picking up the hanger again, her smile faltered as she felt the uncomfortable feeling of the exposed scars of her bare back being stared at.

She furrowed her brows; there was only one person that could. The dress pressed against her chest, she looked over her shoulder, her golden eyes locked with the amber ones of her boyfriend, and they stared in silence.

The expression on the redhead's face was of mild shock, his eyes wide and his jaw slightly agape. There was the tiny buzz of Donavan trying to get Kidd's attention, and when the redhead snapped to it, he said: "Call Owen and get the rundown," and then he promptly hung up.

The summoner mage eyed Kidd curiously as the redhead stalked closer with an expression on his face that he just discovered something extra extraordinary. _Hells_, this wasn't the first time he saw her naked and she highly doubted it would be his last.

Then Kidd bent over so he could easily push away the dress like a curtain, revealing the scarred flesh of her stomach, and gingerly placed the palm of his hand to her abdomen. "Are you sure you're pregnant…?" he murmured the question. "You're not showing at all…"

Gabriella giggled lightly, her hand over his and she smiled. "Of course I'm pregnant, I did at least ten tests, remember? You didn't believe me when I told you."

"But…" Kidd pursed his lips in thought, staring intently at her stomach. "Four months. You're along four months…"

"True," Gabriella nodded with a tiny hum. "But Doc said that, on average, most woman don't start showing until the twenty-two week mark, it's only been sixteen weeks, babe."

"Hmph," Kidd grunted and stood back up. "Well, just be careful."

"I have been careful," she playfully teased by poking him in the side, which Kidd did not like and she could tell by the irritated grunt he gave her in return. The reaction made her chuckle. "I haven't gotten into any trouble since I told you I wouldn't; won all my fights without a scratch and haven't gotten kidnapped once. You should be proud of me," she boasted with a smirk.

"Yeah, yeah," Kidd rolled his eyes, but there was a smirk on his lips as he chuckled lightly. "I'm glad you're taking safety seriously now."

"I always took it seriously," she scoffed in mild offense and pushed a hand roughly to his chest. "Now leave me be, go on," she shooed him towards the door. "I still need to change." Then she paused and added. "And get me lemonade while you're at it, please."

* * *

The buzz of the washer and dryer harmonized together, the humming filling the room. The vibrations rattled the pipes that followed into and out of the wall, the tiny clinks adding to the melody. The bone mage stood before the rumbling dryer, a plastic basket sitting on top the metal surface along with piles of clothing both folded and not.

Ameria smoothed the wrinkles in the black boilersuits of her crew mates and neatly folded each set of thick fabric before placing it into the basket. Quietly, she continued her long forgotten job that she recently picked up three months ago. It was long and boring, just like in the past, but it also a good distraction when it needed to be.

Though, her work was constantly interrupted when something nudged her calf every few minutes, and every time she looked down to see the same sight. Loki, the little skeletal pup of the submarine. He used to be a rowdy little ghost that wreaked havoc on the sub, but thanks to Lin, one of her spirit contracts, Loki was given a solid body. Therefore, the trouble he could get into was limited, but that didn't stop the skeletal pup from being as perky as ever.

Loki gently rammed the top of his skull against her leg then looked up at her, worn tennis ball between his teeth.

With a gentle grin, the bone mage crouched down and tugged the ball from the pup's mouth and then stood back up. In a few quick strides, she was at the doorway and then she tossed the ball down the hallway. Loki scampered after the tennis ball bouncing along the floor, the both of them disappearing in the shadows.

Chuckling lightly, the bone mage turned back into the laundry room and went back to work folding the remaining clothes. When she was done, her hand hovered over the handle of the basket on the dryer, but her action was stopped abruptly.

The pale, oil stained hands snatched away the basket with ease. "I'll take care of this, brat." The tone was gruff, yet the action was helpful and nice.

The bone mage pursed her lips. "You know you don't have to help, Nigel," she told him as she sheepishly fiddled with the bright yellow hem of her hoodie. "Since I got nothing to do, I can take back my job of doing laundry again…"

Nigel scoffed, cocking his head to the side, his shaggy blonde hair swaying with the motion and the shadow cast from the bill of his black cap lightened she could see the annoyed look in his blue eyes. "So?" He countered. "Maybe I wanna help, ain't nothin' wrong with that."

"But what about your job?" Ameria questioned softly, scratching the side of her cheek. "I'm sure Shachi and Penguin want you helping with the machinery upkeep."

The blonde mechanic sighed, effortlessly tucking the basket under his arm so he could free a hand to ruffle her ebony locks. "Don't worry 'bout," he told her with a shrug. "Those two bastards know I'm helping you and they don't mind. Considering," Nigel paused and pressed his lips and then rubbed the back of his neck, unsurely. "Well…y'know."

Ameria sighed, she figured this was going to be brought up; it was brought up almost every day and she was getting tired off it. "My anxiety isn't _that_ bad," she admitted with a timid smile, her hand subconsciously going to the choker around her neck. "It's just a little bit of stress and guilt about what happened. I'm sure I'll get over it soon."

Nigel stared at her and simply said: "It's been three months."

"You guys are just overreacting is all," Ameria waved it aside. "It's nothing to get worried about, really."

It was true after all. Granted, anxiety wasn't like a normal illness, but the source of her anxiety was known and would clear once the choker was gone in a few months. And she would probably calm down even more if everyone just took a chill pill. They should all be happy she still has a head on her shoulders because that's what usually happened to people that broke the law. All she had to do was wear a Broker Choker for a year, and now only nine months remained. They should be relieved, but the crew disagreed with her greatly on that note.

"Bullshit," the blonde mechanic snapped, glaring at her with irritation sharp in his blue irises. "_'_Course it's something to be worried 'bout since you're on medication. That means this shit is serious, brat," and then Nigel stomped his foot to the ground twice to release pent up frustration. "Stop trying to act like it's nothing."

Ameria bit her lip and rubbed her arm nervously, her fingers digging into the black fabric of her sleeve. "I can't complain for something that I had coming, Nigel. The only thing I can do it be optimistic considering I know there is no way around."

Nigel fell into silence, pressing his lips together in thought and his brows furrowed together. "Sorry…" he then grumbled, looking away to avoid direct eye contact. "Guess that's true in a way."

"Don't apologize," the bone mage smiled softly and shook her head. "It's no one's fault, but my own, therefore it's my burden to bare. It's all fair in the end; you reap what you sow after all…" she dryly laughed.

Then Nigel whacked her upside the head. "Shuddup!" He barked sourly. "Don't say shit like that. We're a crew, we stick together and share the burden of everything.

The bone mage looked away to escape his piercing glare. "But that's not fair to you guys," she told him, closing her eyes tightly. "I don't want to drag anyone down with me…"

Nigel cheeks blistered red from aggravation and he opened his mouth, but his voice was replaced by another.

"Ameria, Captain wanted to me to tell you we're at the Outpost now," the calm voice came from behind and the pair whipped around to the doorway where they saw the captain's medical assistant, Brodie. "Everyone's on decking waiting," the medical assistant continued as he adjusted his cap that resembled a cow.

The bone mage nodded with a meek smile curling the heavy corner of her lips. "Alright," then she looked to blonde mechanic. "Can you finish up the laundry for me?"

Nigel huffed, holding the basket firmly in both hands again. "I've been doin' it for months, another day won't kill me."

Ameria just sighed, shaking her head as she headed out the door after the medical assistant. The clicks of her green heels echoing off the walls of the narrow hallway. The medical assistant jerked his head, ushering her to follow as he turned away and continued on quickly.

The two walked together, side by side in silence. The chatter of the crew up against filtered through the halls, the eagerness to see what was between the Outpost's walls. Walls, in a way, being a magical storm that spiraled around the tiny chunk of land. The typhoon blended in smoothly with unpredictability of the Grand Line.

"So," the medical assistant then spoke up, and randomly asked: "Did you take your medication?"

"Law wouldn't let me out of bed until I took it." Ameria chuckled softly, looking down at her feet with a tiny smile as she climbed the flight of stairs to the second floor. "Not that I put up a fight anyway. It's helping me after all."

"Good to hear," Brodie nodded approvingly. "Captain was worried that your anxiety might heighten due to be in an area with the people that forced the choker on you."

Ameria pursed her lips, rolling the flushed skin in thought. "Well…" she slowly started. "I don't think it'll be a problem."

Brodie glanced at her from the corner of his eye, a curious look in his blue eyes. "What makes you think that?" He inquired.

"Well…" the bone mage repeated, pressing the side of her forefinger against her upper lip. "This is my punishment, but that doesn't mean I'm hated. It's like a parent scolding a child. They are angry, but never hate." Then she smiled fondly, her eyelids drooping slightly. "I'm going to be with my family. That's the safest place in the world."

Brodie was silently as he watched her closely as they stood at the foot of the steps leading up to the deck. "I see now…" he mumbled quietly. "The anxiety doesn't stem from losing your magic, but that you are defenseless without it."

"I guess so." Ameria sent a smile towards the medical assistant before looking up to the heavy metal door that separated them from the fresh air of the outdoors. "Then let's get going."

The medical assistant nodded in return, but as he took the first step of the stairs, he froze. "Oh, and, um, one more thing…" Brodie then added, turning sharply on his heel to face her again, an embarrassed look on his face. "Aichki has requested you change your shoes…" he remembered with a wry laugh as he scratched the back of his head.

* * *

The bone drake roared, the trill of its high pitched voice rising to the heavens. The skeletal form fidgeted impatiently upon the smooth cedar deck, cartilage talons tapping against the wood eager for flight. The drake shook its wings, the limbs filled with vivid magic of bright light that sparked like electricity contained within a single space. Shuddering, the exposed bones of its spine rolling with the motion and rubbed together so a cloud of dust fluttered into the wind.

Then a hand gently rested against the smooth cartilage of the bone drake's skull, fingers glowing grey to calm the beast. "Easy, Lavender." The grandmaster spoke softly to his familiar as he sat cross-legged upon the bone drake's head. "We need to wait for Ameria; then we'll go."

Lavender howled in response, the bone drake turning her hollow gaze towards the spiral of clouds not too far away.

It was the typhoon that shielded the Outpost from the outside world; harsh winds spiraling the clouds around and around before the cluster of sea vessels. With no way of making it past the magical barrier without permission, it was Aichki and Ameria's job to go in first, using Lavender in second phase. His familiar was usually the size of a cat and hidden within the folds of his brown robes, but in second phase she grew to the size of a true skeletal dragon. Of course, it had its downfalls, such as the fact that a mage's movement was limited, but that was only a minor thing in the bigger picture of things. Having that little added boost of firepower could make or break a battle.

Or help two necromancers get through a rather hazardous—almost a deathtrap—typhoon.

The tiny clicks of heels made the grandmaster look over his shoulder to see his student walking over with the crew's medical assistant and nurse on either side of her. There was a mildly annoyed look on her face as she tried to cast off the concerns of Brodie and Petunia about her anxiety and medication. She pushed them away in response, grumbling up unrecognizable curses under her breath as she stormed over to Lavender, her knuckles a pale white as she gripped the strap of her satchel.

Brodie looked unamused by the shove, the medical assistant's brows knotted together from irritation as he crossed his arms over his chest clad in the black uniform of his crew. Then he turned his gaze sharply away, the bill of his cow-hat shadowing the upset glare in his eyes.

Petunia, on the other hand, only looked more nervous than before as she teetered to and fro on her small heels, the motion making the extra fabric of her medical lab coat sway. She folded her hands together and pressed them to the chest of her canary yellow blouse as if she was in prayer and then frowned worriedly after the bone mage.

Aichki felt a tiny bead of sweat trickle down his cheek, and faintly he wondered if this was a good idea. But Ameria had to go with him, they needed her there. Of course, he could avoid blackmailing his people that would be great. "Well," the grandmaster finally spoke up, looking down as his student with a tiny smirk. "Good thing you changed your shoes. Five inch heels is a bad choice to have when flying."

The bone mage hummed, scuffing the toe of her knee-high boots against the deck. "It's more practical," she replied agreed as she adjusted her green laplander so the printed words of DOC were front and center.

"Then it looks like were ready," Aichki declared and stood up, planting his hands firmly on his hips, and then he turned his gaze towards the surgeon.

Law's focus was on the typhoon, his brows furrowed in thought as he examined the spectacle curiously from his spot leaning against the sub's railing. The surgeon's arms were crossed over his chest and his trusty nodachi was nestled in the crook of his elbow. Lips pursed together in deep thought, the man of science was probably eating up the interesting sight. Especially when Straw Hat Luffy had the wise idea to use him Gum-Gum Pistol, punching his arm into the typhoon only for it to rear back around at an even faster speed and knocked out not only his first mate and chef, but also himself. Eustass was practically tickled pink at the sight.

Law was amused as well, but it wasn't enough to drown out his curiosity. It probably wasn't his first time seeing a storm at sea, nor was it his first odd one on the Grand Line, but one where the wind didn't draw the ships into their impending death was indeed something unique. A real storm has the clouds racing for miles round the eye. The magic that created this typhoon was calm, however, that didn't mean it any less dangerous.

"Will you be able to get in safely?" Law finally asked, eyeing the grandmaster warily. "I don't want something to happen due to stupidity, Miser Aichki."

"Hmph," the grandmaster scoffed in offense and crossed his arms. "Don't doubt my power, Captain Trafalgar. This isn't my first time doing this. Aldon did teach the trade, after all."

Law clicked his tongue. "If you say so," was all the surgeon said and he looked away with a deep frown.

Aichki decided the best course of action to just ignore the insult and move on; he highly doubted the surgeon would apologize for being worried in his own way. For the bone mage, that is.

Turning to his student, he asked with a smile. "Ready?"

The bone mage nodded, but then she looked to Jean Bart, the largest member of the crew, and one of the oldest. "Bart? Can I ask a favor?"

The muscular man sat upon the deck with a calm aura radiating from his form and it almost looked like he was about to doze off from lack of sleep. Loki did have the habit for being more nocturnal due to being a restless spirit. Though the sound of the bone mage calling out to him made the former captain snapped his attention up and his eyes wide awake.

"Yes?" He questioned in return, eyeing her in confusion.

"Can you give me a lift?" The bone mage sheepishly asked as her pointed towards Lavender with a finger.

The former captain's brow rose and he glanced towards those that stood around them that looked just as puzzled. "But…" Bart started, his eyes narrowing slightly. "What about your fear."

"I've been getting over it slowly, but surely." Ameria replied with a grin. "And putting it to the test is the best way to break it, right?"

"Not in your current condition," Law cut in sharply, glaring at her coldly. "I thought I told you that already."

"Well, I couldn't just sit around doing nothing," Ameria frowned, folding her arms over her chest and guiltily looked down at her toes. "Which is why I asked Shachi and Penguin for help."

When the two were mentioned, Law whipped his head around to scowl darkly at his two foolish head mechanics.

Shachi quickly turned his gaze away from the surgeon's, whistling as if he rocked back and forth on his heels while bobbing his head so his ginger hair followed the movement. Whereas Penguin shamefully pulled down the bill of his cap down even further of his eyes, grumbling with red tinted cheeks about how they were mercilessly thrown under the bus.

Law scoffed and rolled his eyes at the sight. "I'll deal with you two later," he grumbled.

Bart, sensing the obvious tension from the surgeon, hesitated, but they wouldn't get anywhere with Law being a stubborn ass. Therefore, Jean Bart stood up with a grunt and two quick strides, he stood beside bone mage. His shadow loomed over her as he leaned down to place his hand to the ground, his palm open to her like a platform. With a thankful smile, she stepped on and slowly, he raised her up high. There was a visible tenseness in her muscles, but it was small enough that it didn't hinder her movements when the grandmaster offered her an extra hand.

Aichki's held her hand tightly, pulling her up so she was at his side atop of Lavender's skull. Then with a firm grip on the bone mage's shoulder, he roughly tapped his foot against the thick cartilage of Lavender's head and the bone drake followed the silent order.

The Heart Pirates shouted as they used arms to shield their eyes and hands to keep their hats in place when Lavender pushed away from the deck, her skeletal wings causing a burst of air to rock the sub. Then the bone drake swerved wildly to the right, charging headfirst into the wind, Ameria's head whipping around as she heard the bellow of her captain in the faint distance.

Aichki had a pretty good idea what the surgeon screamed to the winds, but it was too late to turn back now. They were in the worst of the typhoon, the roar of the storm blaring against their eardrums. The bone mage held tightly to her master's robes, her head pressed against his chest as she clamped her eyes shut to avoid the image of pure terror.

_Nostalgic_, was the first thing that came to mind. Odd considering the fact they were struggling to keep their feet planted to Lavender's skull and the bone drake had difficulties with balance. It was a miracle they weren't thrown off, but as he mentioned before, he knew the trade secret.

What is was? Well, it wouldn't be much of a secret if he told now would it.

Nostalgia; getting back to nostalgia.

Strange as it may have sounded, but he remembered doing this many a times with his student, minus the dangerous atmosphere. Flying through the skies without a care in the world, the wind running through his short locks of brown hair and rushing passed his robes. His student at his side, the child clutching to the thick fabric of his pants. It was just like old times; only difference was his student wasn't much of a child anymore.

It was as if the light of maturity that was shining down upon her, or maybe that was just the light coming from the eye of the storm.

The tiny bit of visible sky was crystal clear, the blue that was on the outside peeking through the far off opening high above them. It was like a spotlight for a theater stage, illuminating the busy Outpost floating peacefully in the center of visible ocean waves. The island was lively with on-duty soldiers, the men and women scurrying around the barrack's buildings. The shouts of the soldiers then rang out from down below as Lavender took her landing upon the tiny docks. The breeze of that came from his familiar's wings made the flags of Fort Lock flutter violently, the emblem of the bear rolling in the waves of the thick tapestry. The old timber of the docks creaked violently under the pressure as the bone drake's claws sunk into the wood.

Then in the blink of an eye, Lavender's large form turned to dust and in the midst was the tiny skeletal dragon's true form. The two necromancers dropped to the deck, both crouching before rising firmly onto their feet, and then little Lavender fell comfortably into the grandmaster's arms.

The soldiers rushed over by the flock, all the men and women dressed in chainmail and tunics with the symbol of their fort and General. Looks of curiosity and confusion beamed in their shadowed eyes, the helmets hiding any facial features that made them stand out among the crowd. They looked like a bunch of uniformed toy soldiers, the only notable figure being the commander.

The old man was clad in worn half-plate that looked polished every morning, noon and night. The only exposed skin was that over face that was weathered with wrinkles from age and scars from battle. He stalked over like a proud lion of the herd, his back completely straight and his head held high as the cape over his shoulder fluttered poetically in the wind.

Then with a massive grin that reached from ear to ear, the prideful man spoke with a booming voice. "By jolly, Bandáshe Aichki!?" The commander stepped forwards, his voice muffled by the butt of the cigar between his teeth. "Is that you, sonny,_ ha-haha!_ Why you haven't changed since the last time I saw ya!" and then the commander slapped a hand to the grandmaster's head and ruffled the hell out of his hair with a massive gloved hand.

"T—thank you, Commander Vales…" Aichki stuttered, rubbing the top of his head once the commander's hand pulled back; he suddenly had a headache.

"So, what're you doing here, laddie?" Commander Vale asked with an amused grin on his wrinkled old lips and stroked the grizzly bush of facial hair on his chin. "Finally coming home where you belong, eh?"

"Well…" Aichki chuckled nervously as he cradled his familiar in one arm as the other let his hand scratch the back of his head sheepishly. "I have a request, actually."

"Oh?" Commander Vales mused, eyeing the grandmaster curiously and crossed his arms over his chest, his gauntlets clicking when the metal touched metal. "And just what would that be, laddie?"

Aichki took a deep breath in and then out before asking: "I need safe passage for three outsider ships."

…_whoosh~_

There was silence, an awkward. The soldiers stared at him in shock and then a rumble of whispers broke out and Aichki wanted to slap himself for sounding so ridiculously stupid right about now.

"Now, laddie…" Vales broke the dense silence, a disappointed look in his emerald eyes. "Why would you ask the impossible of me?"

"But Commander—" Aichki tried to reason with him, an uncomfortable smile on his lips.

"No buts," Vales snapped angrily, holding up a hand to stop the grandmaster. "You, of all people know the rules, laddie. What would Aldon say if he knew?"

"You don't understand—" Aichki dared to speak again.

"Stop making excuses, Aichki!" Vales barked, his bushy brows knotting together with fury. "Outsiders are _not_ allowed in, and we could all hang if I followed your orders. You just narrowly escaped death Aichki, stop chasing after it."

Aichki deeply sighed and cast his gaze down towards his feet. Commander Vales was always a stubborn man when it came to the law. He was a stickler for the rules; just like any officer should be. He wouldn't listen to reason unless it came from the General or Council. Or…him.

"Commander Vales," Ameria finally spoke up, a sugary smile on her lips as she teetered back and forth on her heels with hands folded behind her back. "Daddy wouldn't be pleased if you didn't help me."

That caused quite the reaction from the soldiers. Every single one of them gasped with a mix of horror and shock in their voice. They all nearly jumped of their skin and would have made a break for the water, especially since they saw their commander sweating bullets like a madman. Vale's tan skin went pale, the color of a clean piece of white paper and it looked like he wanted to run for the hills, if only there were any hills to run to, that is.

Then Vales quickly snapped out of it with a slap to the face, literally. The commander whacked his cheek with an open palm, leaving a burning red mark in its wake.

He ignored the stunned looks of his men and regained his composure. "_Ah—ahem!_" Commander Vales cleared his throat, but still his old voice sounded strained under pressure. "Quite right, Lady Ameria! If it's for you, I'm sure we can make some sort of arrangements for them to stay for a bit…"

Ameria's grinned widened and she chuckled. "That would be very helpful, Commander Vales."

"Then let's carry on, laddie!" Vales boisterously shouted as he sharply turned on his heel and started to walk along the dock. Though before he was out of sight behind the wall of his men, he said: "I hope you put in a good word about me."

"I will, Commander Vales," Ameria nodded with a gentle smile, but then she glanced towards the grandmaster, mouthing the words,_ you owe me_.

Aichki merely rolled his eyes at her and sighed; and here he thought he could avoid threatening them all with the name of Burgrate. Just came to say how terrifying the master assassin was, more terrifying than the Council's death penalty. Yet there was a difference between them; one showed mercy whereas the other did not.

"_Laddie!_"

The impatient tone of Commander Vales barked in the distance, and the grandmaster snapped back to reality. He shook his head to clear his mind and then he shuffled forward following after the stiff commander. The old man grumbled under his breath, saying that he better tell Aldon about the situation and take responsibility because he wasn't going down due to blackmail. In the grandmaster's mind it was completely fair, plus he agreed with Vales one hundred percent. Telling Aldon was the best course of action; his former mentor had said that Rilon wasn't unreasonable… And he did have the seal of Mortalitas backing him.

Still, he hoped no one died for this…

Luckily, any further pondering on the matter was put on hold thanks to Commander Vales pointing him in the direction of the communications building.

The building was made of uneven cement blocks, vines overtaking the surface and drilling holes between the bricks. Aichki pushed the heavy oak door, the hinges creaking under the pressure of age. The room was small, just like the tiny building deemed it to be. The slate tile flooring just as old as everything else. Bookcases lined the walls, the shelving packed to the brim with documents hoarded by the men, and then in the center of the room was the communications crystal. In the grandmaster's opinion, using den-den mushi was easier, but considering their standing with the Marines and how they wire-tap just about everything, it was better to use the bulky crystal for official communication between the Outposts and RC.

The crystal ball nestled in the center of a plush crimson cushion sat upon the pedestal, and using his magic, he awakened the portals to speak with RC. The crystal pulsed with energy, the light swallowing his hand that rested atop the smooth surface. A moment of silence passed as he impatiently waited for an answer from the other line. Then his call picked up.

"_Hello, Communications speaking. How many I help you?_"

"I need to speak with Councilman Aldon if he is in," Aichki replied politely.

"_He is in, but may I have you name, please?_"

"Bandáshe Aichki."

"…"

The silence from the other side was unwavering considering his three year title of traitor was only erased three months ago. A majority of the people of his home probably weren't swayed to believing his innocence just yet.

"…_I see. Hold for one moment, please._"

He thought he was going to get cut off out of spite, but surprisingly he wasn't and instead he heard the familiar voice of his former mentor.

"_Aichki, by Mortalitas, child, what are you calling me for? Are you finally coming home?_"

"Ah," the grandmaster pursed his lips anxiously and he shifted to and fro on his heels as he thought out how to word the…little request. "You see, Aldon, um, we have a bit of a situation here…"

* * *

She watched the daily life of the Outpost slowly revert back to its normal pace. After her little…implied threat to bring her father into this, the soldiers were visibly shaken, but as the minutes ticked away then calmed down. They were able to continue their chores and training at their leisure while the bone mage sat upon a crate on the dock, utterly bored.

Vales was taking his sweet old time, but considering the commander's personality, he was probably rather torn with justice and life.

Ameria sighed, anywho, she hoped Commander Vales would hurry up soon.

She was tired of waiting around. Looking at the scenery wasn't enough to pass the time since she already used that as a distraction. It was the same old thing and it wasn't about to change in the blink of an eye. It was simply a miniature fort of her home: a tiny commutation's building, a tiny barracks, a tiny training rink, a tiny archery field and a tiny lookout tower, all made out a cement blocks and covered in ivy. There was no need for high fortifications since the typhoon was the perfect line of defense. The only way they could get attack is if it was on the inside.

Again, the bone mage sighed due to boredom.

She rested her elbows on her knees and then cradled her cheeks then stared out at nothing in particular. She just closed her eyes, allowing her mind to wander freely with daydreams. She thought of home; the sweet smell of pine trees and her father's cigar smoke, the scent she always associated with home. She smiled at the thought; after three long years, she was finally going to see home again.

"_Get a move on, Sebastian!_"

The shrill voice made the bone mage flinch, her dreams going out in a puff of smoke as she looked up, seeing quite the outrageous sight. A woman dolled up in a ball gown waltzing through the courtyard with guard and butler trucking behind her wearily.

The poor butler looked to be having trouble. The old man clad in fancy silk suit carried three large boxes in his arms, yet despite his shaking arms, his expression remained calm and composed. Whatever he was carrying though had to be heavy considering it had to be the woman's mail.

The woman looked to be of lady status, the way she was dressed and how she walked was enough indication to that. She was young, freshly made up with makeup, and the bone mage had to say the lady looked very beautiful. Her blonde hair was in stylish curls that were pulled back so they cascaded down her exposed back, but the ball gown looked awfully heavy, and also uncomfortable. There were layers packed onto layers, the surface being the thick velvet fabric dyed a deep shade of crimson. The corset she wore compacted her breasts, but pushed them up high for the world to see.

And it was easy to tell the lady was trying to seduce the guard with her appearance. The guard dressed in only light chainmail underneath a blue tunic with the symbol of For Lock on his chest looked uncomfortable as the lady clung to his arm with a tight grip, pressing her chest to exposed, tattooed skin. Being a gentleman on duty, he averted his blue eyes to the sky, but his pale skin was still sweating bullets.

Then something caught her eye, and she stared. She knew that guard from somewhere, but it was hard to see distinct facial features due to the cap atop his shaggy ebony hair.

"_Joel~, hurry up, my darling._" The lady cooed, a twinkle in her eye as she used her fan to find the natural pink tint to her cheeks.

When she heard the name, the bone mage instantly stood up, her blue eyes wide with shock. "J—Joelly…" Ameria's voice was weak at first, her voice not reaching his ear, but then she shouted his name: "_Joelly!_"

When the guard heard his name—his long time nickname—he whipped around, blue eyes full of shock since she was the only one to call him that. He smiled when he saw her waving at him frantically and then he hurriedly left his mistress's side and sprinted to the bone mage, shouting back. "_Meri!_"

In seconds he was before, wrapping his strong arms around her back and then he hoisted her into the air, spinning her around with a joy. Ameria felt the tiny ting of fear pound against her ribcage, but it was overcome with the joy of seeing Joel once again after years apart. So, in response she wrapped her arms around his neck, and embracing the warmth.

But Joel knew better than anyone about her fear, but he was caught up in the moment. Though when he realized what he had done, with a gasp, he stopped in his tracks and gingerly placed her feet back to the ground. "Meri!" He looked at her with wide eyes and placed his hands on her shoulders. "I'm so sorry! I forgot!"

Ameria teasingly smirked, her hands gripping his forearms and she leaned forwards, saying: "That's old news, Joelly. I'm working to overcome my fear now."

Joel's eyes opened wide, but then they settled down. "Really now?" he mused and tugged the braided wool string of her laplander. "That's good to hear! Phin will hate to see all his hard work go to waste now."

"_Hmph,_" Ameria scoffed and turned away with arms folded over her chest. "That jerk doesn't deserve to be upset about anything."

Joel chuckled. "Yeah," he nodded in agreement. "That's very true indeed, Meri. But anyway," he then continued. "What're you—"

"Oh Joel~" The lady suddenly appeared at Joel's. She had a sugary sweet smile on her red painted lips, but she gave off a territorial aura as she clung to Joel's arm tightly. "Whom might this…_girl_ be?" she asked, fan in front of her lips to hide the obvious sneer.

"Lady Lucy…" Joel gulped uncomfortably, beads of sweat rolling down his cheeks; the hostile tension was thick in the air, but it was truly uncalled for, for two reasons that is. The first: "This is my little cousin," Joel replied and motioned towards the bone mage with a hand.

Despite the obvious rudeness from the lady, the bone mage bowed slightly in respect. "Hello, Lady Lucy. I'm Manolia Ameria."

"That's _Lady Lucille_ to you," Lady Lucy scoffed, and turned her nose up in the air with arrogance, even though she and the bone mage were technically of same status rank.

"And," Joel coughed, trying to clear the tension, but wasn't doing a very good job of it. "Lady Lucy is Lord Reginald wife," which was the second reason the lady had no cause to be hostile.

Ameria's eyes flicked open wide with mild shock. "_Wife…?_" The bone mage knew Lord Reginald when she was younger, and this most certainly wasn't his wife considering he and his wife were happily married in their forties the last time she saw them five years ago.

"His _new_ wife," Joel clarified.

"Oh," was all the bone mage said.

"Hmph," Lady Lucy knew she was being judged, the annoyed look on her face said it all. "We have things to do. Isn't that right, gentlemen?" and she looked to her guard and butler.

"Very important matters," Sebastian replied in a monotone voice, his bone old arms still trembling under the weight of the boxes.

"Oh…that's right…" Joel guilty admitted, scratching the back of his head. "I forgot about that."

Lady Lucy snapped a glare towards the guard and then whacked him with her fan. "How could you, Joel!" She barked. "This is important, you know!"

"O—of course…" Joel nodded with a weak smile as he rubbed his sore arm and then he turned to the bone mage. "See ya later, Meri," and he stepped forward to give his littlest cousin a kiss on the cheek before walking away with a blistering Madame.

Ameria just shook her head; Lady Lucy was truly a pitiful soul. Getting jealous over a cousin showing family affection towards a family member was truly pitiful, and had an undergrowth of awkward disturbance to it. The thought made her shudder.

Thankfully, she didn't have to dwell on the idea since the signal started to ring. It was a large bell located at the top of the lookout tower that was rung to alert the fort that the entrance would open. The bell continued to toll, the soldiers preparing for the tunnel to form within the typhoon itself.

Ameria witnessed the sight in awe. The dark grey clouds slowly shifting to create an opening that lead directly from the outside world. They moved in an archway, the horizon peeking out from the other side and along with the four sea vessels. Three galleons and submarine came floating through the ways, and the murmur of the soldier came from behind her. They were worried, but there was no reason to be.

She hoped so at least.

"_**AAA~MERIA!**_" The call of a wild Luffy called in the distance, and Ameria looked towards the Thousand Sunny sailing into the bay of the Outpost. Luffy was sitting at the bow, winding his arm back and shouted: "_Gum-Gum Rocket!_"

Then suddenly a hand latched onto the flag pole right beside her and she braced herself for impact, closing her eyes tightly. Yet, the rubber captain never rammed into her, instead she felt the soft embrace of an arm around her waist. And the roar of an upset redhead along with the shout of a confused rubber captain.

Ameria slowly opened her eyes, seeing that Law was at her side, the dome of his devil fruit engulfing the entire island, and off in the archery field was a pile of flabbergasted soldiers along with an enraged Kidd and dizzy Luffy.

"That was close…" Law mumbled irritable under his breath. "Stupid Straw Hat. What the fuck was he thinking?"

"Nothing but good intentions," Ameria replied with smile, trying to defend the rubber captain.

Law said nothing in return though. Instead, he simply move along to something else he deemed more important. With a frown, he gently brushed his fingers along the metal of her choker. "How are you feeling?" He asked softly.

It took a second for America to realize what he was talking about, and she honestly asked with a smile: "I forgot about it."

Law's head jerked back slightly in shock and he stared at her, blinking his eyes. "Really?" He inquired skeptically.

"Really," she nodded and put a hand atop of his, her fingers curling around his hand gently. "It was like it was never even there."

Law pursed his lips in thought and his brows furrowed as he stared at her intensely, his gaze boring into her ever soul. It looked like he didn't quite believe, but despite that he was able to crack a faint smirk. "_Heh,_" he chuckled dryly and tilted her head back by placing the side of his forefinger beneath her chin. "No matter what you say I'm still watching you," he whispered and then silenced any protest with a kiss.

A tiny gasp was muffled by his lips, as well as the moan he caused by his touch. Her eyes fluttered closed and her fingertips tenderly touched his wrist.

"_Ahem._"

The gruff voice nearly jump out of her skin and she yelped, pulling away slightly when she saw Commander Vales standing behind Law. With a bashful blush lighting up her cheeks red, she looked away. Law, on the other hand, clicked his tongue in annoyance, rolling his eyes as he tsked and crossed his arms.

"Well," Vales finished clearing his throat. "Your…friends are docked now. Lady Ameria, I hope you're happy," though the commander looked anything but pleased with the decision.

Courteously, the bone mage bowed her head towards the commander, and used the moment to hide her embarrassed blush. "Thank you, Commander Vales."

The commander then sighed deeply, his usually proud posture slouching in defeat. "Can this day get any worse…" he grumbled as he ran a gloved hand through his gray hair.

And that is when the commander jinxed the Outpost.

As soon as Commander Vales said the words, a soldier came rushing forward, out of breath and fear in his eyes. "C—Commander!" He stuttered, his voice full of cracks. "_M—murder!_ **_There was a murder on Post!_**"

* * *

**Beta read by praeses**


	4. Chapter 4: CSI

Alpenwolf: That's what you think~

ThexWhitexPhoenix: I know, right. xD

DEWFAL: Yes, yes we did. It just wasn't said in the same way has Kidd's was, but yeah, we fortune was pretty clear.

Volleys-chan: When everyone knows that Gabs is preggers it will be a day to remember, for sure.

Hitoshirezu Ryu: Burgrate has influence over the entire world.

Guest: :D

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece, but plot and OCs are mine.

* * *

Chapter 4: CSI

The corpse laid on his surgical table, a thin white sheet over the lifeless body that had been carried into his submarine by the soldiers of the Outpost. The surgeon's shadow loomed over the fabric, the darkness against the white mimicking his movements as he slowly snapped a pair of latex gloves over his tan tattooed hands.

_This_ was going to be a _fun_ process.

Commander Vales wasn't keen on the King's Alliance docking at the Outpost whatsoever. So to repay for the act of kindness that could kill them all, the commander asked—rather demanded—them to solve the mystery of the murder since they were all, ironically, innocent. There was a traitor among the soldiers at the Outpost; even with suspects in custody the commander didn't want to take any chances.

Not something the captains of the crew wanted to do since they wanted to get on their way to RC, but in the end it had to be done. Commander Vales was currently their ticket out of there until Aichki finished his little chat with Aldon. Law knew for a fact that it would take a while for the grandmaster to get the councilman on their side, despite Mortalitas's message. And he highly doubted Burgrate intimidated the councilman in any way, shape or form.

That left them with going through the investigative process of discovering the murderer and bringing them in.

While the others took on investigating the crime scene and interrogating the suspects, the medical experts of the crews examined the corpse for the cause of death. Brodie and Petunia were among the team of specialists, both going about their assigned tasks before the autopsy began.

Brodie was a professional with doing an autopsy by now and had started getting the equipment ready. Though, when Law glanced at the condition of the victim before the other doctors arrived, he told his medical assistant to go through records and get that file. Brodie, upon seeing the corpse, knew exactly what the surgeon spoke of and immediately went back into the infirmary to find the documents.

Petunia returned as soon as Brodie left, their guest medical experts trailing behind her. She ushered them in quickly, knowing they couldn't wait any longer, and then the nurse hurried to the surgeon's side. She shifted back and forth on her heels nervously, her hands sweaty and finger fidgety as she folded them before her. "Will this be already, Doctor?" she whispered quickly, her eyes glancing down at the hidden corpse.

Petunia hadn't experienced working with a corpse until she joined the crew, and she was rather unsettled by it. The way Law dealt with the dead was different, that could be seen by the large quality of jarred organs in formaldehyde stored in the infirmary's cabinets. Then to make matters worse, Brodie explained that they were the surgeon's form of trophies.

Law shrugged, but to reassure her, he said: "Of course. We have a fine team of experts here," and then he looked to the medical guests.

Among them was Chopper, the Straw Hat's doctor. The tiny reindeer held the straps of his backpack firmly between the slits of his hooves as he rushed into the room and jumped up onto a stool that was placed beside the surgical table just for him. Chopper was ready to go, a serious expression on his face as he silently waited for the other two doctors to settle in, though that would be awhile.

This wasn't Chopper's first time in Law's surgical suite, so he didn't need to take in the sight of top line equipment in the room again like the other two men.

Cardinal, Drake's doctor, examined the walls of steel lined with machinery to help save a life, or end it. The crimson trench coat fluttered with reach step he took and he hummed while scratching the black stumble on his chin. The crimson doctor nodded silently, a smile on his thin lips as he approved of the sight.

Cardinal was a passive observer, but the surgeon's other guest so happened to be a little aggressive, in a rather creepy way. Doc, though his full title was Doctor Dicklehelmer James III; now that was a mouthful, and quite the mouth the man had. No wonder Kidd and his crew called him Doctor Dick.

Doc curiously paced around the room, the look in his eyes shielded by the glare upon his glasses. He removed his lanky hands from the white pockets of his medical coat and rubbed the machinery and leaned over to press his cheek upon every surface he could, the walls in included. Law could only blankly stare at the blonde doctor somewhat violating his surgical suite.

Humming, Doc rubbed his bare chin as he eyeballed the surgical table and then he nodded with thoughtfully frown. Then with upmost seriousness, he bluntly stated: "I think I'm in heaven."

"Heh," Law chuckled lightly, a faint smirk on his lips. "Thank you for the compliment, but you should know for a fact that this is a place of death and sin."

The comment made Petunia uneasy as she hugged her arms with a tiny shudder; well so much for reassuring the nurse.

"I don't doubt it." Doc huffed as he ran a pale hand through his blonde locks. "If only this walls could speak…"

"They'd be screaming, actually," Law corrected.

"Law…" Chopper spoke up with a frown as the reindeer glanced towards the anxious nurse. "You're scaring Petunia."

"Though, it has been awhile since I've done anything cruel," Law added for the sake of the nurse.

"But still," Cardinal chimed in with a smile as he turned to the surgical table. "This is truly an impressive medical bay, Doctor Trafalgar." He said with a nod in agreement to the blonde doctor. "The converted warship of ours has a large one, but still nothing so high-tech such as this."

"Ha!" Doc dryly laughed, jerking his head back with the boisterous tone. "Lucky you actually have a nice big sickbay. That redheaded brat didn't put a single beli into giving me any nice shit. He preferred cannons and weapons, blah, blah, blah," and the blonde doctor rolled his eyes. "Damn moron, I have to perform surgery on a cot, a cot."

"I do that, too, Doctor Dicklehelmer," Chopper timidly added, the tiny reindeer standing on a stood so he could see the surface of the surgical table. "Sometimes things are so serious that I have to do field work!"

Doc sighed and placed a hand on the tiny reindeer's head, patting the puffy fabric of his cap. "So naïve, Chopper. So naïve."

Chopper blinked in confusion, his little brows furrowing at the odd comment he didn't really understand.

Law then exhaled softly through his nose and glanced around the room at the other medical experts in mild annoyance. "Shall we get to work, gentlemen," then he looked to nervous Petunia. "And lady?"

Petunia gave him a weak smile and timidly wrung the latex of her gloves as her hands fidgeted.

"Of course," Cardinal responded quickly and hastily produced a pair of gloves from his crimson coat's pocket and then pulled them over his fingers. "So, who is the victim?"

"That would be…" Law started as he pinched the white cloth over the corpse and began to pull it away. "The noble in charge of governing the Outpost alongside Commander Vales, one Lord Reginald," and the surgeon revealed the sight.

The old man looked like a skeleton, every contour of his bones sticking out from wither old wrinkled skin. The jaw of the victim's was hanging open, depicting the final scream of agony before death fell upon the late lord. Tears of electric green goo rolled down the victim's profound cheeks bones, the source of the substance coming his eye sockets. His eyes, rather than deteriorating like the rest of the victim's body, instead inflated. Growing three time in size, it looked like they would burst and the deadly green substance would splatter everywhere like a bubble popping against the pressure of a needle's fine tip.

At the surgeon's side, Petunia gagged at the sight, her eyes wide with fear and her tan skin turning a sickly pale shade of white. With a hand over her mouth, she made a beeline for the door, shoving the medical assistant out of her way as she ran.

Brodie blinked rapidly, looking back and forth between the doctors in the surgical suite and the nurse that was in the infirmary throwing up violently in the trashcan. "Err…Captain?"

"Don't worry about it," Law waved it aside as nothing and then he held out a hand. "The documents please, Mister Brodie."

Nodding, Brodie briskly went to his captain's side, taking Petunia's spot between the surgeon and the reindeer doctor standing on the tips of his hooves on his stool so he could get a better look at the victim. Then the medical assistant handed over the files, and Law flipped through them carefully while Cardinal and Doc examined the corpse.

"My word…" Cardinal mumbled curiously under his breath as he placed a hand to his stubbled chin in thought. "I don't think I've seen anything like this in all my years as a doctor."

"…What the fuck is phenomenon?" Doc grumbled in irritation as he leaned forward to further inspect the corpse while rubbed the back of his neck. "Gives me chills when I see things I can't medical understand."

"Don't worry," Law reassured the other doctors in the room as he scanned over the old notes within the file. "I have come across this before."

Chopper whipped his attention from the victim to the surgeon, his round eyes growing wider. "Really, Law?"

"Yes, though it was a different case," Law admitted with a shrug.

Crossing his arms, Doc eyed the surgeon warily. "Care to explain?"

Law merely smirked as he glanced up from the pages. "But of course. Do either of you know about Suspendisse ipsum?"

"Nope," Doc bluntly admitted.

"I don't think so…" Chopper sheepishly scratched his furry cheek with the tip of his hoof.

"I do," Cardinal replied with a slow nod. "I believe it was a North Blue based bacterial infection, which explains why Doc and Chopper would have no knowledge of it."

"Correct," Law nodded in agreement. "You see, Doctor James, Chopper, since the majority of the North Blue is covered in ice, mining coal is a rather difficult task and the shipping of it is too costly that it's almost pointless to try. Therefore, the factories use sea coal which is in an abundance, mostly under icebergs and such."

"It works the same as coal," Cardinal chimed in. "But there is a different side effect to burning sea coal. Instead of cancer, one gets a bacterial infection that turns peoples skin blue because bacteria that forms in the smog blocks oxygen from getting to the lungs."

"Suspendisse ipsum," Law elaborated shortly.

"Hmm," Doc hummed. "This lesson is swell and all, but how does this apply to the current case?"

"He's right." Chopper nodded in agreement. "The victim doesn't have blue skin…he barely has any skin left!"

"I'm getting to the part," Law clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Continuing on. Over my travels in the New World, I came across an island that supposedly had a similar illness, a virus called Lorem oculos, going around which was caused by the same MO and also with the same side effect: blue skin. But, they also had the green substance coming from the eyes."

"Hold the den-den mushi," Doc put up his hands. "Are you saying that a bacteria turned into a virus?" He questioned, and Law shook his head. "Good," Doc scoffed. "'Cause I was about to call you fucking crazy."

Law rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Anyway, the doctors got it all wrong. It wasn't a virus, but rather a mutated form of Suspendisse ipsum."

"But what caused the mutation?" Cardinal inquired, his brow quirked in curiosity.

"A poison," Law answered simply.

"A poison, you say?" Doc mumbled under his breath. "Now that is rather peculiar indeed."

"That's very interesting and all, Law, but…" Chopper spoke up with a confused expression on his face. "If this is the same poison, which I think you're hinting at, then that means that everyone on that island should have shared the same fate as the victim before us…" The reindeer trailed off, crossing his limbs and closed his eyes in deep thought as he tilted his head back and forth. Then his eyes opened wide, the idea beaming in his pupils. "Oh! So maybe when the poison was burned it made the doses not as lethal. That means an antidote could be applied without the infected suffering too much damage!"

Law smirked. "Very good, Chopper."

Chopper swayed from side to side with a blush of his cheeks, a giddy smile on his lips as he enjoyed the compliment, but the words that came out of his mouth said different: "I don't need you're praise, bastard!"

Law, used to this from his short time with the Straw Hats, ignore the insult and continued on. "So, to wrap things up. This is the Monlu-Potis, also known as the grimy stone. It is a poison that is formed naturally throughout the world, yet only the island of RC knows how to make it into concentrated doses that can kill almost instantly, as we know from the fact that people had seen the victim up to five minutes before he was found dead."

"Well," Doc clicked his tongue. "I won't lie. That's as scary as fuck."

"Absolutely," Cardinal nodded grimly.

"…I hope the World Government never figures out how to use it." Chopper added with a frown.

"I highly doubt it," Law reassured the group of doctors as he handed the file back to his silent medical assistant that stood off to the sidelines. "From logical deduction, it seems that RC has been using—I use the term loosely—the poison for centuries and the World Government has yet to pick up on it. We should be fine."

"Loosely, you say?" Cardinal tapped his chin. "So I'm guessing the Council of RC doesn't allow just anyone to have this, eh?"

"Not at all," Law replied slowly as he reached for the surgical tray at his side, his fingers wrapping around the thin and smooth surface of his sharp new scalpel. "Now," he smirked, a wickedly dark gleam in his grey irises. "Shall we, gentlemen?"

Cardinal chuckled deeply, a mischievous smirk creeping onto his lips as from the pocket of his medical robe came his own well used scalpel. "I couldn't agree more~"

Then with an emotionless expression on his face, Doc's hand reach into the folds of his lab coat and he pulled out a butcher's knife. Yes, a butcher's knife, and with the sharp blade gleaming in the dim light, he stated: "Let's us begin."

Brodie felt multiple beads of sweat roll down his cheek and cautiously he stepped forward and clutched the stunned Chopper to his chest and then he very so slowly backed away from the sight of three deadly armed pirate doctors.

* * *

Kidd stared. All he did was stare at the old man dressed in a butler's suit sitting at the metal table with a dejected expression on his wrinkled face.

Kidd was floored. Utterly floored by Straw Hat's request for him and Drake since the rubber captain got in trouble with Cat Thief Nami for causing a ruckus before even docking on at the Outpost. Sure, the redhead was pleased to see the rubber captain get beat to a pulp by the busty navigator's climate staff since he was unwillingly dragged into that mess. How? He had no fucking idea. One minute he was on the deck of his ship and the next he was in a dog pile of fucking men.

Shaking the sour memory from his mind, he turned to Drake, sharing his irritated expression with the ex-Marine. "Seriously?" was all he could say without snapping into rage; it wasn't Drake's fault.

Drake exhaled sharply through his nose and crossed his arms, tapping his finger against his forearm lightly to time his rhythm of annoyance. "Straw Hat is an odd ball." Drake grunted softly, trying to keep the conversation between only them. "Garp is the same, so sadly, it should have been expected."

"But seriously?" Kidd repeated, not giving a damn that the butler could hear, not that the old man paid any mind. "Did he seriously ask us to do this?"

"Well," Drake pursed his lips. "He explained to us why—"

"That's not a reason!" Kidd barked, veins of fury popping along his brow and his eyes began to twitch. "It's bullshit! Pure bullshit and you know it!"

Drake sighed, shaking his head. "Asking us to take his and Zoro's place isn't bullshit." The ex-Marine corrected with a huff. "They did get in trouble with Nami after all and have been…grounded."

"And who's damn fault it that, huh?" Kidd snapped, glowering at the ex-Marine. "Straw Hat should of asked his fucking crew to do this shit, not us."

Drake pinched the bridge of his nose, grumbling under his breath. "Is it really that bad, Eustass?"

"Yes," Kidd answered bluntly as he crossed his arms in defiance. "I ain't playing good cop, bad cop."

"Well, the sooner we start this the faster we can get this over with." Drake stated and started to make his way towards the table. "You can be the bad cop, Eustass."

"Fuck, don't go along with it, man," Kidd grumbled and grudgingly followed the ex-Marine.

Drake ignored the redhead and focused his attention on the butler. The old man had his gloved hands folded atop the metal surface of the table and he stared down at them, his eyes glued to the white silken fabric. There was a lost look in his dark eyes, his wrinkled lips curved downward into a deep grimace as his fingertips dug into his knuckles.

"Sir." Drake spoke up, placing a hand against the table and leaned closer so the old man might awake from his inner thoughts. "We need to hear your side of the story and, if you have one, an alibi."

The butler blatantly ignored the ex-Marine, his focus solely on whatever was racing through his thoughts and the old man began mumbling under his breath quickly.

"Sir?" Drake eyed the butler warily. "What was that?"

Again, Drake was ignored as the butler began to scratch the top of his head, his nose scrunching up as he grumbled curses under his breath.

Kidd, was no longer annoyed with the situation and was now just pissed off, and he slammed the side of his metal fist against the surface of the table, making quite the dent and snapping the butler from the inner workings of his old mind. "Answer him, geezer!" the redhead barked furiously.

The butler froze, his eyes wide with shock as he stared at the two men, like he didn't even know that were there in the first place. "Pardon me, gentlemen…" the old men slowly apologized, a tiny crack in his tone. "I'm sorry, but there was something eating away at my mind…"

Drake took over before Kidd could lash out again, and calmly questioned: "And what would that be?"

"That delivery…" the butler answered with knitted white brows and repeated. "That delivery…"

"The one that the commander said you picked up this morning," Drake elaborated. "It was for your mistress, correct?"

The butler shook his head slightly. "No…" he answered. "That…was my delivery."

* * *

"Shall we look for any evidence on the surface of the body?"

"I highly doubt we'll find anything of use at this point in time."

"Indeed. There is only soil and mud on the victims clothing and also under his nails, which was in the report from the crime scene. No unknown blood, skin, or hair."

"Ah. But, you both forget about what we can't see with the naked eye."

"Are you telling us you have an ultraviolet light in here as well?"

"Damn."

Law smirked and looked to his medical assistant that was on standby. "Mister Brodie."

Brodie nodded to his captain and then turned to the tiny control panel attached to the edge of the surgical table, the tiny chunk of metal was coated with an array of different sized and colored buttons. With latex covered fingertips, the medical assistant pressed a tiny purple button and then the light fixture above the table creaked, the bright light rotating with another one. Then they switched, the surgical suite bathed in dim violent light that illuminated every white surface, and also an interesting substance along the weathered skin of the victim's collarbone.

"There seems to be traces of something on his skin…" Cardinal stated the obvious.

"Maybe it's the poison." Law suggested. "I'm afraid I have never seen it in its pure form."

"It would make sense that the poison would be invisible, though," Cardinal continued to drawl out. "Considering all the hidden knowledge of it and also strict rule about it."

"True enough." Doc shrugged lightly. "Guess the mages don't have the technology that we have over here, eh?"

"Well, let's make note of it. Mister Brodie," Law glanced towards his medical assistant. "Once you're done with that then may you retrieve the body block?"

"Yes, Captain." Brodie nodded as he scribbled down their findings on a clipboard and with a flick of his wrist, switched the normal like with the ultraviolet one again. Then he tucked the thin wood under his arm and crouched, the medical assistant opened a compartment under the surgical table and pulled on a rubber brick.

With the help of the three doctors, they gingerly lifted the corpse so the medical assistant could slide the body block underneath. The rubber brick was placed under the back of the body, causing the arms and neck to fall against the surface of the surgical table, and push the chest upward, the ribs more defined against wrinkled skin.

"Let's do this." Doc whipped out his butcher blade, the edge sharp against the light.

"…Doc." Cardinal felt a bead of sweat trickle down his cheek. "Please put away the butcher knife. It's not medically correct."

"So?" Doc scoffed, rolling his eyes. "He's dead already, and I told you that redheaded brat does give me beli for shit, like replacing old scalpels."

Law sighed and shook his head. Scalpel gleaming in the light as the surgeon twirled it between his fingers, he smirked with a chuckle: "We have work to do, gentlemen."

The surgeon placed the tiny blade to the thin layer of skin, the sharp edge breaking dead flesh. Not a drop of blood leaked from the cut, only the blackness of the insides seeping out. Slowly and using graceful precision, the surgeon cut a large and deep Y-shaped incision. He started at the top of each shoulder and running down the front of the chest, meeting at the lower point of the sternum.

"There." Law pulled away. "That should do it—"

"_Hah!_" Doc roared, raising his blade high above his head and then slammed the butcher knife into the ribs, cracking them clean in half.

A puff of smoke rose from the open chest of the victim, causing the light in the surgical suite to gain a hazy brown glow. Then the dust slowly filtered away, revealing the expressions of the shocked medical assistant, the stunned crimson doctor and aggravated surgeon.

"What that really necessary, Doctor Dick?" Law coldly questioned with a murderous scowl on his features.

"Yes." Doc was blunt as he continued to hack away at the remaining ribs. "Yes it was."

"No use going back now." Cardinal sighed deeply, shaking his head. "He's already treated the victim like a slab of meat."

"_Pfft._" Doctor huffed, as he placed his butcher knife to the side and then roughly pulled away the chest plate to reveal the lungs and heard, or what was left of them. "There's not much meat left in this guy anyway."

Cardinal leaned forward, staring into the dark abyss of the victims open chest. "His innards are just as withered as his skin."

"Interesting…" Law scratched the tiny patch of ebony hair on his chin. "So the only thing that is worth examining is the head, especially the eyes."

"Also the brain," Doc added. "That could be just as a mess."

"Do you think the poison focuses on damage to the occipital lobe?" Cardinal questioned aloud and then slowly started to explain. "The poison blinds the victim through the occipital lobe, which would positively cause permanent damage."

"And the fast acting nature of the poison would throw the entire brain for a loop, leading ultimately to death." Doc added.

"That is a good theory, but sadly it's simply conjecture." Law rebuked sharply. "We need to further investigate the state of mind."

The three doctors agreed, and once again the gently raised the corpse just enough so the body block used earlier to elevate the chest cavity was move under the neck to raise the head. The sudden motion of the head being moved caused the long stingy white hair of the victim to fall from his shoulders to reveal to information.

"Hold it." Cardinal spoke up, putting up one hand as the over hovered of a tiny bruise at the base of the victim's neck. "Look at this."

"Ah," Doc clicked his tongue and leaned over. "It's the entry wound," and then he pushed his glasses further up on the bridge of his nose so he could get a better look. "Judging by the size, it looks like the victim was injected with the poison with a needle."

"We should examine this before the head." Law concluded and looked to the crimson doctor. "Cardinal, if you would do the honors."

"Hmm…" Cardinal mumbled as he further inspected the wound, probing it carefully and also so wearily, and when he was finished, he relied his findings to the others. "It was a sharp angle downward," he started. "Almost pointed to the shoulder, but also directed towards the collarbone. So, my guess is that the victim was stabbed from behind."

"And the culprit must be short then." Doc added. "Then again, the victim's rather tall to begin with."

"It rules out people though," Law drew out with a small smirk. "And that's a step in the right direction."

"And…" Cardinal trailed off, looking towards his fellow doctors. "Who is the shortest out of all the current suspects…?"

* * *

Kidd's hair stood on end due to some serious anger issues and Drake believed he wouldn't have the strength to stop the redhead if his gasket was blown. There were going be some serious problems if the ex-Marine didn't get things under control. The last thing they needed was another murder, this one obviously going to be pinned against them.

Drake would admit the woman was being more difficult that what was normal. Lady Lucy was silent as she sat at the edge of her seat due to the cage of her ball gown, her arms crossed over her constricted chest and her head turned away so they could only see the profile of her sour expression. No matter what Drake asked, the lady wouldn't say a word, but it was all about patience.

Drake had patience.

Kidd did not.

Kidd looked ready to rip a certain someone's hair out, and then head.

Sighing, Drake tried to continue. "Again, Lady Lucy—"

"That's Lady Lucille to you," the Madame scoffed arrogantly, finally saying her first few words filled with attitude and stuck her nose higher into the air, avoiding all eye contact out of sheer rudeness.

Kidd flinched when he heard the tone of the lady's voice and more aggravated veins pulsed against his brow as he was provoked.

Drake felt a bead of sweat trickled down his cheek when he saw that the redhead's arm was gaining massive bruises on his pale skin due to the fact that his mechanical arm was digging violently into his flesh. "Lady Lucille…" Drake calmly corrected. "You were the one to discover the body, correct?"

"Hmph," was all the lady said.

"_Tch,_" Kidd tsked, sneering at the woman sitting at the table before them; he was losing all control over his patience rapidly.

Drake knew he had to get this interrogation over with as soon as possible. "Can you tell us why you went into the room?"

The question made Lady Lucy snapped her head towards the ex-Marine and she scowled at him darkly. "And what exactly is so wrong about going into my room, pirate?" she snapped bitterly, her dark eyes so piercing that he felt a dagger stab his soul. "It is the room that I share with my husband and I wanted to make sure that stupid butler wasn't feeding him nonsense!"

Drake's brow quirked at the curious statement. "And what do you mean by that, Lady Lucille?"

Lady Lucy froze momentarily, her eyes wide at the tiny slip of the tongue, but she regained her composure quickly and turned away from the ex-Marine's gaze. "That is none of your business, pirate," she stated taciturnly.

Kidd had reached his limited and he pounded the side of his metal fist to the table, making the large dent from before even larger on the surface. "Answer the damn question, you fucking bitch before I strangle you for being so goddamn annoying!"

Drake slapped the heel of his palm to his forehead; fucking fantastic.

Mechanically, Lady Lucy turned her icy glare onto the redhead and questioned coldly: "Are you threatening me, pirate?"

Kidd shoved Drake out of his way so he could place both hands on the table and he leaned in real close to the woman, sneering a wicked smirk at her. "I think that's exactly what I'm doin' 'cause you're being a pain in every living man's ass."

Lady Lucy showed no fear in the taunt and instead she taunted right back, saying with a sickeningly sweet smile. "It's doesn't matter since everything should be in ashes now."

* * *

Ameria paced back and forth, biting the nail of her thumb until it was nothing but a tiny stub. Her heart was racing and she couldn't get her mess of emotions under control whatsoever, and all she wanted to do was run to get rid of the stress. Sadly, there was nowhere to run on the tiny Outpost bustling with anxiousness over the murder. So, she was stuck pacing back and forth like a madwoman.

"Ameria…"

She heard the faint voice call her name and she paused in her stride, turning to see Gabriella frowning.

"It'll be okay," Gabriella forced a smile and placed a hand on the bone mage's shoulder. "I'm sure it wasn't him."

Ameria couldn't reply; instead she shrugged off the summoner mage's comforting hand and went directly back to pace her trench in the mud.

Why did this have to happen to her, or rather her family? She was one hundred percent sure that he didn't do it. She knew her cousin like the back of her hand and she knew he could never do something like this. Joel couldn't be a killer; he had trouble with the sight of blood, which is why he never became a soldier and took a job as a private bodyguard instead. So, why was he being a suspect in this mess?

That was a question he couldn't answer, and she didn't even get the chance to ponder it since she felt a pair of arms wrap around hers and drag her away.

Shaking her mind from her turmoil, she looked back and forth to see Gabriella and Robin sandwiching her as they walked across the muddy grass of the Outpost in the direction of Commander Vales.

Vales was easy to find among the uniformed soldiers since he stood out like a sour thumb, the old man in worn iron armor speaking with the soldier that gave the news of the murder and also in charge of investigating the crime scene.

"…so there was nothing?" Vale's voice became clearer as the three got closer.

The soldier shook his head with a gloomy grimace. "_'_Fraid not, Commander."

It seemed that the sweep of the crime scene turned out fruitless, and that only made Ameria feel worse. If they couldn't find something to proof Joel's innocence…

"Commander Vales," Gabriella spoke up, stepping forward. "Can we visit the crime scene?" she asked politely with a smile to match. "Ameria's really worried and I think it'll help put her at ease."

"Of course not!" the soldier barked angrily and pounded the butt of his spear to the mud. "There's no way—"

Vales held up a hand to silence the soldier, a stern look in his eyes. There was a moment of silence from the commander as he looked over the three woman before him. Gabriella and Robin eager to help a friend in need and also the hopeful look beaming in the bone mage eyes. She needed to go to the crime scene and look for herself, maybe the soldiers overlooked something that would prove Joelly innocent. The bone mage was positive that a clue was hidden in the shadows that would help her cousin; she just knew it.

Vales nodded in return, the soldier beside him huffing in rage and then storming off due to the response. The commander ignored him, and instead opened his mouth to answer, but his weathered old tone was replaced with a more youthful one.

"Hold up."

Recognizing the voice, Gabriella whipped around to be greeted with the first mate of her crew. "Killer?" she inquired in shock. "What's wrong?"

"You're not going in there," Killer was blunt and held his ground firmly as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I heard there's poison. It's a bad idea for you to go in there in your condition."

Gabriella avoided the stares by glancing away, hugging her arms. The bone mage eyed the summoner mage curiously; there was something wrong with Gabriella, too? Surely she wasn't under any stress either because she seemed fine. There was nothing to cause anxiety, right? And, it was very clear that whatever it was, it wouldn't be said aloud.

"I'll go instead," Killer added, trying to ease the summoner mage. "Go to the ship and contact Calamity instead. It'll help once everything here is cleared up. Things'll go faster with your help."

Gabriella nodded slowly then she turned to Robin and Ameria with a weak smile. "I guess I can't help like I thought…"

Robin waved it aside with a smile. "If it wasn't for you proposing the idea it wouldn't have happened." She told the summoner mage.

Ameria nodded with a tiny grin. "That's is thanks enough, really. Thank you, Gabriella."

A relieved smile came to Gabriella's lips and she nodded before slowly strolling away back to the Kidd Pirate's ship.

Killer huffed watching her until she was heading safely up the gangplank. "Well." The masked blonde clicked his tongue and waved a hand over his shoulder as he turned sharply on the heel of his foot towards the barracks where the crime scene was located. "Let's see if we can find anything—"

He thought was cut off just like his stride a fancy black boot suddenly blocked his path, and the scent of nicotine lingered in the air.

"Where do you think you're going with my Robin-chwan and Ameria-chan?"

Killer scoffed, waving his gauntleted hand in front of his masked face to fan the thick smoke from entering the openings in the metal. "I'm going to the crime scene with them, Black Leg."

The blonde bangs of the chef shadowed his only visible eye, but his exposed brow twitched with silent fury. "Them?" Sanji snarled in offense at the lackluster term, rolling the butt of his cigarette between his teeth. And then he snapped. He jerked his head up, a fire burning in his eye as he screamed: "You don't speak to two lovely ladies like that!" and then swiftly he whipped his leg around, the heel of his boot aiming for the masked blonde.

Killer instantly blocked the attack with the dense metal of his gauntlet, sparks flying as if it was a clash between blades. There was an even struggle between the two blondes, either of them giving into the other, and it too the combined efforts of Ameria and Robin to calm the savage love beast.

"Calm down, Sanji." Robin pinched the hem of his suit's jacket and gently tugged. "We are doing this to help Ameria."

"Do you want to come with us?" Ameria asked. "Having more eyes means there's more of a chance of finding something to save Joelly."

With the heel of his foot, Sanji shoved away from the masked blonde and then in a flash he was before the bone mage, a heart pounding in his only visible eye. "Of course, Ameria-chan~ anything for you~!" he swooned lovingly towards, but then a determined look beaming in his eye. "I will save you from your pain!" He boldly declared, and then had to add. "And from that smug ass Trafalgar!"

The comment made everyone stare with beads of sweat trickling down all cheeks.

_Meanwhile…_

Law quickly tucked his nose to the crook of his elbow to cover his mouth as he sneezed.

Cardinal glanced up, eyeing the surgeon curiously. "All the goo get you sick?"

"No," Law hummed, slowly shaking his head. "I have a nagging feeling that a stupid moron just said something utterly ridiculous."

* * *

Kidd exhaled sharply through his nose with arms crossed over his chest. "Finally," he grumbled as he leaned back against the wall in relief. "The last one. I was getting sick of his stupid shit."

"We aren't done yet, Eustass." Drake reminded the redhead, his voice low so that the third suspect wouldn't overhead since he was obviously watching them in the corner.

Joel stared at the redhead, his eyes glancing back and forth between him and the giant dent in the metal table that resembled Kidd's mechanical arm. Then the bodyguard gulped visibly.

Drake noticed the action, then his gaze turned to the redhead, an annoyed gleam in his eyes.

Kidd's brow arched at the expression. "What?"

Drake merely rolled his eyes and turned away and went to the table were the third suspect sat. "We have some questions."

Joel slowly nodded as he scratched the side of his cheek, the tip of his gloved finger leaving a stain on his cheek. "I'm in big trouble, aren't I…?"

Drake blinked, and then calmly pointed out: "You got mud on your face."

"Oh," Joel's eyes flickered open and then used the fabric of his sleeve to wide it from his face, but then then he looked down at his tunic and frowned. "I really need to wash off after this…" he grumbled in annoyance under his breath.

Drake's eyes narrowed, and he coolly questioned: "Why are you covered in mud, anyway?"

Joel smiled an embarrassed grin and scratched the back of his head, sheepishly chuckling: "Well, you see…"

* * *

The late lord's suite was a wreck; furniture overturned along with soil and glass splashed across the wooden floor from an overturned fern. There was an obvious struggle among the victim and mysterious culprit, but not a single drop of blood was found. The only thing left behind by the killer was a trail of footprints left in mud. According to the soldier on watch of the crime scene, the footprints didn't pin the blame on anyone since half the men on Post had the same foot size.

There truly was nothing there, but that didn't stop the bone mage from trying.

Ameria searched every nook and cranny for something with the help of Robin, Sanji and also Killer.

Robin sighed as she bent over to scan the area underneath a toppled over dresser, using the power of her devil fruit to lift the heavy wood with a blossom of hands. "I don't see anything that the guard hasn't told us about already." She frowned and with a wave of her hand, the dresser gingerly went to the floor in a mist of flower petals.

Sanji grimaced at the state of the room, lifting his foot so he could inspect the mud sprinkled with fresh soil coating sole of his boot. "There's mud everywhere…"

"Hmm…" Killer hummed, his arms crossed as he leaned against the wall. "There was one person out of the suspects that was covered in mud now that I connect the dots…"

Sanji planted his foot back to the ground, pursing his lips as he pulled out a pack of cigarettes. "Looks like he must be the culprit—ouch!"

Robin glared at the chef coldly and then slapped Sanji upside the head, the fresh stick-o-cancer falling to the floor to be stained with mud. Tears streamed down from his only visible and his nose started to run as his lip quivered when he slowly turned to see the icy expression of the archeologist.

"_R—Robin-ch—chwan~_" He sniffed in pure agony. "_W—w—w—w—why?!_"

"_Stop._" Robin was blunt a dark look in her blue eyes as she scowled down at the teary-eyed chef, but then her expression softened when she glanced towards the bone mage.

Sanji followed the archaeologist's gaze, and all the color drained from his face when he saw what he had just done, and he fell to his knees in despair.

The bone mage froze when she heard the hinted accusation. Her shoulders trembled violently, and blood trickled down her chin. Hastily, she wiped the tiny stream of liquid iron away with the back of her hand and then she turned to towards the masked blonde, a scowl on her features. "Joel didn't do this." She declared boldly, her voice tight with rage as she marched over to stand before him.

Killer remained unfazed by the fury for the bone mage, remaining calm in the face of an emotional woman. "The facts are as they stand," was all he said.

"He's my cousin!" Ameria snapped, her cheeks flushed red with rage. "I know him better than any of you!"

"Maybe you don't, Bones." Killer calmly stated.

"_**Hey!**_" Sanji barked, snapping from his dreary thoughts and flipped to fury instantly and he stopped his foot to the ground. "Don't you dare speak like that to Ameria-chan! I won't allow it!"

Ameria then suddenly rammed her knuckles to the masked blonde's chest, the bone mage more affected by the hit than Killer. She was shaking, her head hung low so her bangs shadowed her eyes. "You're a horrible person…" She bit through grinding teeth, and then snapped her head up to glare viciously at the masked blonde. "You're a horrible person for thinking that Joel did it!"

Then she shoved away from his and sprinted to the door. Behind her she heard the shout of Sanji calling her name, but she did not stop nor did she look back. She only ran and she kept on running until she felt something latch onto her ankle. Gasping, she looked down, seeing four dainty hands that sprouted from the ground and gripped her leg to hold her in place.

"Ameria…" Robin jogged, the archeologist slightly out of breath as she came to a stop before the bone mage. "Calm down. Killer may not know your cousin, and the facts may look to be against Joel, but we can still turn this around," then she placed a hand on the bone mage's shoulder and repeated: "So, be calm."

"I just can't, Robin…" Ameria murmured quietly and looked down at her toes, watching as Robin's devil fruit hands slowly disappeared and she teetered to the side, her shoulder bumping into the wall. "I—"

As she touched the wall, there was a tiny click. A brick gave up under the pressure of her weight and in a flash she found herself tumbling forward down a flight of stairs. She rolled and rolled, the thumps of her body each sharp edge until she bounced against hard floor.

Ouch, she inwardly groaned, as she rubbed the burning sores on her back; her day was turning to be best one in her entire life.

"Ameria!" Robin called out to her as the archeologist hurried down the hidden stairwell. "Are you alight?" she asked, going down on her knees to try and help the bone mage up.

"I've had worse…" Ameria grumbled as she sat up slowly, rubbing the back of her neck. "But…where are—?"

The bone mage stopped, her eyes opening wide when she looked up the room dimly lit by the tiny fire lights of hundreds of candles.

They had stumbled across something, something disturbing.

* * *

**Beta read by praeses**


	5. Chapter 5: Useless

**No beta this week due to finals and mainly personally issues that she know about and that's all that matters. There is probably a lot of mistakes and I'm sorry for this. I hope you still enjoy the chapter anyway.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece, but plot and OCs are mine.**

* * *

Chapter 5: Useless

The Outpost was lively with of stiff men trying hard to follow their commander's order to return to their daily chores, training and tasks, but it was clear they had difficulties with that. The hours ticked by since the morning and the investigation continued the demand of Commander Vales, the four pirate crews were confided to the port unless they were apart of search for the murderer, which was only a small and Drake were interrogating the suspects, the doctors weren't even technically on the island since they were all in Law's sub and Ameria, Robin along with Sanji were at the crime scene. Only two people traveled just about everywhere and that was Killer and Brodie to exchange documents. The medical assistant had left the iron belly of the sub to hand over a bundle of papers to the masked blonde that left the barracks.

And one person watched the two make their way to the main headquarters of the fort, and he wasn't happy about his situation in the slightest. Luffy sighed deeply, his nose pressed against the railing of his ship so he could peek at all the events he was missing. In his mind it wasn't fair. He firmly believed he had the right to help find the murderer because he would admit he'd never been a part of a murder mystery; Robin said they were the best type of mysteries to solve and he wanted to be a part of it.

Groaning like an upset child, the rubber captain whined with puffy cheeks: "This isn't fair~!" and then his body slinked down like a slithering snake, his stomach flush against the deck. "I wanna solve the mystery, too…" he continued, his voice muffled by the wood pressed against his pouting lips.

Usopp frowned at the sight of his friend, the storm clouds of depression floating above the captain's head only to rain down despair upon the rubber captain. "It's nothing to be upset about, Luffy…" The sharpshooter tried to reassure his captain with a smile. "It's only a simple murder mystery! I have solved millions of murders and I can tell you that they all end the same way," then Usopp puffed out his chest and jabbed a thumb to his chest while his free hand held firm to the strap of his overalls. "_Me_ as the hero and the villain behind bars!"

"Bet you haven't solved any on a magical outpost." Luffy mumbled to glare childishly towards the sharpshooter. "It's impossible."

Usopp opened his mouth to counter, his jaw wide open and a single tan finger pointed in the air ready for his verbal attack. But, then his forefinger went limp and his jaw snapped back into place because he couldn't counter back to that. Truly, it was impossible. In defeat, Usopp went to his knees and put his hands to the ground, mumbling in despair. "_Failure…_"

"_Yo, ho, ho, ho~!_" Brook laughed, the bone of his jaw rattling with the motion. "Fear not, Usopp! I saw sing a song to lift everyone's spirits, including our dear captain's!" The skeletal musician strummed the strings of his guitar, the smooth notes floating through the air beautifully. He sang a cheerfully ballad of sailors, women and rum and when he was finished many clapped for his performance, both on deck and off deck. "_Yo, ho, ho, ho!_" Brook grinned widely. "An excellent performance!" and then he turned to the rubber captain. "Did you enjoy it, Luffy?"

Luffy hadn't moved an inch and all he did was sigh deeply into the rich wooden blanks of the deck.

In defeat, Brook went to his knees beside Usopp and then put his bony hands to the ground, mumbling in despair. "_Failure…_"

Nami, who had been lounging in the sun, had been listening to the conversation among her crewmates and she looked up from the newspaper. She had hoped a bit of reading would distract her from the current events that happened at the Outpost, but whenever the murder was brought up her skin would get clammy and her hands would shake. Then it became impossible to actually the news.

With a shaky huff, she turned to the pair in depression. "It's his own fault you two." She reminded them sternly and tucked a strand of orange hair behind her ear. "I told Luffy before we came to the Outpost not to do anything stupid and he did."

"But Nami…"

A new voice added to the conversation, the boisterous tone getting closer and closer just as the sound of creaking metal got louder and louder. Nami turned to see Franky, the cyborg walked up the gangway with a large red toolbox tucked under his giant metal arm.

"He didn't cause that much damage." Franky continued as he dropped his load gently to the deck. "I should know, I did help with the repairs and all. Just a broken wooden fence, two walls of stone, a ladder, a table—"

"_Oi!_" Nami put up a hand to silence the cyborg, glaring at him with sharp brown eyes. "That list is already too long!" then the navigator sighed, crossing her arms over her revealing bikinied chest. "And it isn't about the proper damage, it's about how strict Ameria's home is! I didn't want to get off on the wrong foot is all…"

"Well…" Franky rubbed his defined chin with his mechanical fingers. "At least the commander didn't pin the murder on us. Some people could look over the fact that we just got there, y'know?"

"True." Nami nodded in agreement and tapped her fingers against her forearm. "But still, it doesn't change the fact that I wanted Luffy to remain calm for once."

"But it's his personality, Nami." Franky defended his captain. "You really can't punish him for that."

Nami sighed and shook her head. "I believe I have, Franky." She tsked in disappointment. "I did it once before."

_Meanwhile…_

Zoro stared at the stove, glaring at the abdominal iron machine with the meanest scowl he could muster. "Damn money witch," the swordsman grumbled with crossed arms. First he was grounded and now he was forced to make _chocolate-chip cookies_ since the shitty cook wasn't around. "Fuck my life, fuck my life."

_Back on deck…_

"You're mean, Nami." Luffy was blunt, the rubber captain quickly shifting into a sitting position, his legs crossed Indian style.

"Insults will get you nowhere, Luffy." Nami was just as frank with her reply as she finally was able to turn back to the newspaper. "If you want to get out of timeout you either be good or suck up to me."

Luffy puffed out his cheeks and pouted; he would do neither. He was captain, after all. Hell, he was King of the Pirates now. Though sadly Nami had the upper hand on him here. Sanji listened to Nami no matter what, and he didn't want her to threaten him with no meat again. The thought made him shudder, and he instantly get hungry with a rumbly tummy.

Though, his curiosity was hungrier to see what adventure were going on the little island and he stared out at the port.

They were all probably having so much fun while he was rendered completely useless. It wasn't fair, it simply wasn't fair.

* * *

The three suspects were done being questioned and put in holding cells in the dungeons beneath the headquarters. The silence could have been a moment of peace for the redhead, yet Kidd paced back and forth impatiently, his boots leaving a trench in their wake. "How much larger Drake. I'm getting sick of this shit."

Drake didn't attempt to look up and instead continued with his task of reading the numerous amount of papers that were before him. The ex-Marine merely sighed as he leaned back in his creaky wooden chair. "I'm reading the testimonies of the suspects again. Stop being so antsy, Eustass." He told the red redhead calmly then he sneaked a glance, watching Kidd's brows furrow together tightly. "Why are you in such a hurry anyway?"

Kidd never ceased in his rapid stride, but he uncrossed his arms and then stuck the tip of his thumb between his teeth and chew anxiously at the skin. "Gotta make sure Gabriella is okay…" he mumbled more to himself than the ex-Marine.

"She's fine, Kidd."

The voice didn't belong to the Drake, but instead it was the redhead's first mate. Kidd whipped around, watching as the masked blonde walked into the room with a bundle of papers in his hand, and behind Killer was the image of Trafalgar's medical assistant speaking with the guard in charge of the investigation. The guard looked aggravated as he stormed away, but it was something that was easily pushed away when a stack of papers were silently shoved to his chest.

Kidd grimaced at the sight. "More paperwork, seriously?"

Drake held out his hand before the masked blonde could even say a word. "I'll take it. I'm guessing this is from the doctors and also notes on the crime scene."

Killer nodded and passed the papers over to the ex-Marine while saying: "Joel did it."

Drake glanced up at the masked blonde as his fingers pulled the papers from the masked blonde. "Joel? MacRae Joel? Ameria's cousin is the murderer?" He asked curiously and scanned the documents briefly.

Killer shrugged indifferently. "Mud's everywhere in the room, mud's all over the victim and him. It's pretty obvious."

"Hmm…" Drake hummed as he buried his nose into his reading, leaving the masked blonde's comment alone.

"Hmph." Kidd scoffed, rolling his eyes. "And here I thought it was Madame Bitch with her poor attitude. She's a cocky little wench, a secretive one, too. I know she's hidin' something."

"Well it wasn't her," Killer countered. "She was probably just being difficult because you're a temperamental son of a bitch."

Kidd snarled at the masked blonde, scowling murderously. "I'll pretend I didn't hear that," he stated coldly before going back to his first train of thought. "Too bad it isn't her, I would of helped with the execution. I'd gladly strangle her with my bare fucking hands," and he mimicked the wish with his hands as he strangled it like it was a pretty little neck that belonged to a not so pretty little girl.

"Before I saw the room, I thought it was the butler." Killer admitted thoughtfully. "It's always the butler, y'know?"

"Eh," Kidd eyed his first mate curiously. "Dunno about this time. He seemed like the normal grieving geezer, though he was really obsessed with his packages."

"What were in those packages anyways?" Killer inquired, interest laced in his tone as his fingers brushed the blonde hair of his goatee. "I remember someone saying something about it, but the contents were never said.

"Dunno," Kidd shrugged. "No one knew, but the butler himself and for some reason he considered it pointless to say what it was. Joel knew something about it, said the butler was waiting for important documents to come from the mainland." Then the redhead pursed his lips and furrowed his brows in thought. "Weird though. According to miss-pain-in-my-ass they were three huge boxes, and she didn't like them one bit."

"…That makes Joel look more suspicious." Killer commented firmly and crossed his arms, readying himself for a brief explanation. "From my point of view it seems like he is trying to put blame on the butler. Joel or someone on the mainland he's working with could of added the poison to the butler's large order. It was well hidden and when the crime came to light, it'd been blamed on the butler 'cause it was his order after all."

"_Hmm,_" Kidd closed his eyes and rubbed his chin in thought. "That's obvious, but almost _too_ obvious."

"More like clumsy," Killer huffed in annoyance.

"Yeah," Kidd agreed slowly, but when he opened his eyes again there was an unsure expression on his stern features. "But something seems off to me. We don't know anything about the package, so the suggestion of the poison being there hasn't been proven. Maybe if we knew about what was inside, then maybe we could find who the murder is."

"It was Joel," Killer was conceived by the evidence.

"But," Kidd questioned the evidence. "Anyone could have tracked mud through there, right? Joel was just the unlucky one that got snared in the situation, or maybe he was even fr—"

_Smack!_

Suddenly, Drake shot up from his seat in a flash, the chair tumbling over and then he slammed the palms of his hands to the table. The ex-Marine's eyes were wide and his brows knotted together as he stared at the papers in shock.

"Oi..." Kidd eyed the ex-Marine warily. "Did you find something out?"

"Killer." Drake ignored the redhead and looked to the masked blonde. "Where's Ameria?"

Killer was silent for a moment, soaking up the odd question. "She's should still be in the barracks with Nico Robin and Blackleg…" he answered slowly. "Are you blaming Bones for this?"

"The fuck…?" Kidd looked between the ex-Marine and masked blonde. "You can't be serious," the redhead then focused entirely on Drake. "Sure, Bones was here alone for a while but—"

_Bang!_

The papers on the surface of the table scattered when Drake pounded the side of his fist to the wood, the ex-Marine ordering silence. "I never said that, Eustass." Drake coldly countered, slowly turning his piercing glaze towards the redhead. "Right now, Ameria is in danger."

* * *

Killer rammed the toned muscle of his shoulder into the heavy wooden door of the late lord's room while Kidd held back the soldier guarding the entrance to the suite. The masked blonde stumbled into the room, Drake grabbing the back of his blue muscle-shirt to help balance Killer's stance before he fell over. Then the two scanned the area, grimacing forming on their hidden features.

"No one's here." Drake stated the obvious through clenched teeth.

"But they didn't leave…" Killer tried to recall the memories, but in the end he looked to the guard in his captain's grasp. "Did they?"

The guard was silent, his jaw ajar as if he wanted to speak, but couldn't find voice the words. Though, the redhead helped with the predicament by snarling like a savage beast in the poor soldier's face. "T—they d—d—didn't le—e—eave the b—b—b—barracks yet—t—t, S—s—s—sir!" The guard snapped his stuttered response, saluting to the three.

"We have to find them now!" Drake swiftly twisted on the heel of his foot and stormed out of the late lord's suite as fast as his feet would take him.

"_What the hell's going on, Drake!?_" Kidd barked after the ex-Marine as he released his hold on the soldier's collar and threw the man to the wall. Then the redhead continued to scream as he followed after Drake. "_Why are they in danger!?_"

Drake ignored the screech of the redhead and hurried to find the three missing persons, knowing full well that they were in danger. The ex-Marine sprinted through the vacant halls, every soul outside and unaware of the threat luring in the walls of their own home. It was proving to be harder than he thought to find the three, but when from the corner of his eyes caught something out of the ordinary, he skidded to a halt. The action caused a chain reaction of Kidd ramming into his back and then the redhead being sandwiched thanks to the masked blonde.

"_Fuck!_" Kidd snapped, ramming the heel of his palm to the ex-Marine's back and shoved away, which knocked the masked blonde backwards, not that the redhead noticed or cared. "Why'd you stop, man!?"

Despite the redhead's rising temper turning into something nasty, Drake remained calm and warily stepped towards the wall. There was a tapestry hanging there, an old one dyed crimson with a shield stitched into the surface with golden thread. It was a high end piece of medieval art, yet it was sloppily hung up, and the ex-Marine noticed a few drops of mud that stained the gold hem. Then gingerly, he pulled it away like a curtain revealing a portal into a dark silent abyss.

"The hell…" Kidd's brows knitted together when he saw the hidden passage way. "How did no one see this before?"

"I believe that's because it's not supposed to be covered with a curtain, Eustass." Drake replied smoothly. "Someone saw it was open and couldn't close it properly. Therefore they used the next best thing for the time being, considering the entire island is usually outside until midnight."

"Then what's down there?" Killer asked as he cautiously glanced down into the darkness.

Drake opened his mouth to speak, but his words never came to be as he stopped at the sound of a feminine cry coming from the blackness hidden in the wall.

Killer's head jerked up, his muscles growing tense. "That's…that's Bones!"

Without a second thought, Drake darted down the stairwell with Killer and Kidd right behind him. Their footsteps were thunderous and whomever was at the end of the stairs knew damn well they were coming. The ex-Marine could only hope that Ameria was alright, or else it was his head.

When dim candle light illuminated the last step, Drake came to a screeching halt, holding out his arms to brace the redhead and masked blonde from taking another step.

In the center of the secret chamber, was a soldier that had Ameria in a head lock and in his free hand was a syringe. A giant needle jammed into the bone mage's side, the thin glass tube filled with a clear liquid that was tinted a faint green shade. The soldier had a wild look in his wide dark eyes, the trembling of his dilated pupils visible despite the shadow cast from his helmet.

There was a sharp inhale of breath from the masked blonde and he stepped forward, his shoulders stiff with silent rage. "You're the soldier that's in charge of the entire investigation," Killer growled and took a tiny step forward. "I thought you were being difficult because of your culture, but it was because of this! No wonder you didn't want us around the crime scene or even to enter the headquarters with the documents."

"Take another step an' I'll kill her!" The tainted soldier threatened, his thumb itching to inject the substance into his prey. "And she won't be lucky like he was," and he jerked his head to the side.

The image almost escape them since the bone mage was in a dire situation, or so they thought. Leaning against the wall was Blackleg Sanji, the cook looking worse for wear as the chef tightly gripped the black fabric of his pants as his free hand viciously rubbed the neon green tears from his eyes. "_I can't see, I can't see, I can't see…_" Sanji chanted over and over again.

"He's lucky it wasn't a lethal dose," the soldier commented coldly through a snarl that curled his twitching lips. "But I won't hold back this time! I won't!"

"Please…" The voice of the archeologist entered the conversation, Robin's back flush against the wall, beads of sweat trickled down her cheeks as she eyed the soldier worriedly. "Please don't be hasty like I was. He is faster than you may think…"

Drake pressed the palm of his hand to the masked blonde's chest, silently ordering for Killer to back down. "Listen to her. This man is holding the deadly poison that killed the late lord. We mustn't provoke him else the cold metal needle will steal Ameria's life away."

"That's right!" The soldier grinned wickedly from ear to ear, the grip on the syringe digging further into the bone mage's flesh that caused a yelp of pain to flutter passed her lips. "I'll kill her if ya get any closer! I ain't afraid!"

"Exactly," Drake calmly replied. "Stay back, both of you. We don't want him to use the hazardous steel to kill Ameria," then he glanced the redhead. He wasn't being poetic with his words for nothing.

Kidd picked up on the odd speech pattern and was eyeing the ex-Marine in confusion. Then it was light a light bulb turning on within his mind and the redhead finally got the subtle hints. Using the heavy fur of his coat as cover, the tiny violet sparks of his devil fruit pulsed against his pale skin.

The syringe trembled lightly in the soldier's grasp, but the man couldn't tell the difference as he shook in excitement. Then before the soldier could even understand what happened, the needle left the damage flesh and the dress's fabric of the bone mage's and then rammed into the ceiling out of reached. The soldier didn't even have a chance to let out a roar of fury as the bone mage was jerked from his loosened grip and the heel of the masked blonde rammed into his cheek. The impact threw him into the wall and a sickening crack of bones followed.

Killer held Ameria close to his chest, the bone mage unable to stand properly as she gripped the blood stained fabric sticking to her side. Her breath was shallow, her chest barely rising from her labored breathing, and her eyes were wide, pupils dilated and irises shaking violently. She was panicked, and she had every right to be so.

"Quickly!" Drake started to bark orders, and he didn't give a damn that Kidd was getting a little miffed by it. "Take Blackleg and Ameria to the cleric's clinic for the cure!"

Killer didn't argue with the ex-Marine and followed the demands easily. Hastily, he hooked an arm underneath the bone mage's legs and wrapped the other around her shoulders to make way for the stairs leading out of the secret chamber.

Kidd was more begrudging with following foreign orders from another captain, but in the end he did so by grabbing the collar of the chef and then proceeded to drag him away. Hey, at least he wouldn't get more brain damage and only sore ankles.

Drake merely shook his head with a sigh, turning away from them and went back to his own investigations. "Robin," the ex-Marine looked to the archeologist with back still pressed against the wall. "Can you restrain the culprit?" and he motioned to the unconscious soldier that had slid to the ground, a large streak of blood staining the wall. "I doubt he'll rise anytime soon, but I'd rather not take any chances."

"Understood," Robin nodded and crossed her arms before her and then flexing her fingers, multiply arms sprouted from the soldier's body and wrapped around his cold body like a constricting snake. "Do you want me to get the syringe as well?" She then asked, pointing a finger towards the ceiling still impaled with the needle.

"No," Drake waved it aside as he walked over to small side table filled with old candles dripping with hot wax. "We should let experts deal with the poison. That is a lethal dose and will kill you in five minutes flat."

"Oh my," Robin gasped with hand over her mouth and her blue eyes widening. Staring warily at the needle, she then shuffled closer to Drake on the other side of the room.

Drake cast aside the archeologist concern and picked up the newest candle he could find and picked up. Then he held the light up to one of the many posters he had noticed when entering, but the bone mage's safety was propriety then. Now, however, he had all the time in the world.

The posters here vulgar, the one's that teenagers would hang up in their rooms because they were young and wild. Pin-up poster. They were all of the same dame, Madame Lullá. An admittingly seductively young wench with wavy blonde and large brown eyes. As Drake moved the candle slightly, the light would bounce off what seemed to be an endless amount of posters with the blonde posing in different revealing outfits or nothing at all.

"_Hmm._" He hummed with a nod. "Just like I thought."

Robin eyed the ex-Marine curiously and she pinched her chin between the side of her forefinger and thumb. "Ameria and I stumbled upon this by accident and found it rather disturbing, especially since this woman has an uncanny resemblance to Lady Lucy."

"That's because she is Madame Lullá is Lady Lucy," Drake clarified.

"Are you sure about that, Drake…" Robin stared at him with wide eyes. "Madame Lullá is a…"

"A famous whore," Drake finished with an emotionless expression on his features. "Yes, that is exactly right."

"How do you know that?" Robin inquired curiously.

"From the testimonies." Drake answered simply. "Luckily there was a scribe outside listening to the conversations and was writing down everything the suspects had said. It wasn't necessarily obvious as first, but pieces from the three testimonies started to blend together. Then with a little help from you investigation of the crime scene, I was able to get an understanding of the true murderer along with motive."

Robin blinked, an astonished gleam in her blue eyes. "And how, pray tell, did you figure that out?

"That, Robin—" he then turned to the archeologist with a faint smirk on his lips. "—is something that is best explained with the testimonies."

_The Butler:_

_Pardon me, gentlemen… I'm sorry, but there was something eating away at my mind. That delivery… That delivery… No… That…was my were my packages, gentlemen. You don't understand just how very important they are to me and now they are lost. They had critical information in it, but not for me. Oh no, not for me, but rather Milord. Though, I think it's pointless to explain anything of the contents now that Milords is gone… And to think one of the guards was kind enough to go out of his way to carry those packages to my quarters since, as you see, I'm not a spring chicken anymore. He said it was nothing considering he had to wash up for he got mud on his uniform. Though, he did complain about Joel for a bit, those two never got along I'm afraid and it seemed that it extended to family as well. Poor Lady Ameria; she really is a sweet girl from what I remember it has been five years after all and I wasn't that young back then either. _

_But despite the ranting of an upset soldier, it was still kind nonetheless. The act helped me dearly because I had other tasks to tend to. Though I am not fond of her, Lady Lucy had some requests that I complete for a dinner party that would have been conducted this evening, but…but that will also be cancelled as well. It was sad that this had to be, the dinner party was something that the Milady took care of in the past before she left. Oh, the dinner party was for the welcome of the spring in the name of Terra, the Master of Elements. Milady was a mage of water you see and she was a firm believer in Terra's teachings and she constructed this dinner party for other nobles and mages to rejoice in Terra, you see. Milady always took is very seriously and spent months on planning it, but Lady Lucy… Lady Lucy was lazy when it came to planning the important event. Her and her flirtatious attitude toward Sire Joel. Revolting, revolting I say. Though, what can you expect from a woman of her origins. So it was up to me to make sure Milady's memory was put into this celebration, and I was going to make sure it was a rememberable one._

_The Wife:_

_That's Lady Lucille to you, hmph. And what exactly is so wrong about going into my room, pirate? It is the room that I share with my husband and I wanted to make sure that stupid butler wasn't feeding him nonsense! What it was? That is none of your business, pirate. Are you threatening me to tell you, pirate? Well, it doesn't matter since everything should be in ashes now. I'll humor you for a bit, pirate. I may have asked a guard to take care of the packages since he was carrying them and said it was all worthless and should be used as firewood to keep my chambers warm at night. Though, I can't say for certain if that happened since I was awfully busy with preparing for a dinner party for Terra's Spring. I'm not a follower of him so I don't necessarily care for his dinner party, but Milord had asked me every so kindly to do it. Of course, I agreed to it if Joel would accompany on outings… _

_What? Do you judge me? I didn't know of Joel until I married Milord and now that my dear husband is passed I'm sure he would want me in good hands. There is nothing wrong with that whatsoever. He went back to his late wife, I'm sure he is happier with her than me. Fine, fine, I'll get back on track. The events of the murder, I know, I know. I was the one that discovered the body of my husband, as we all know. It's completely normal for a wife to enter the room of her beloved and you cannot hold that against me. That stupid butler had been planning something foul under my nose and I could smell it. It had to do with that delivery, I know it did. I wanted to speak with my husband about the situation and that's when I saw him in such a state. Why wasn't I afraid? Of course I was, but I have a tougher skin than what you two may think. You know nothing of my past and I believe my past had nothing to do with the murder, therefore I won't say it and it doesn't matter how much you openly threaten me. I was able to handle the sight of a corpse, and that is that. Can I leave now?_

_The Guard:_

_I'm in big trouble, aren't I…? Mud? Oh, I really need to wash off after this… Why I'm covered in mud? Well, you see…I somewhat fell into a puddle or was raining all last night and—oh, what do I mean by somewhat?Well, it was somewhat because I was accidently shoved. I'm sure the soldier didn't mean to 'cause 'e was in a hurry to help Sebastian, y'know, the butler. It was so nice of him since Lady Lucy wouldn't let me help him with the packages, she's been a little…now I wouldn't say bitchy, but upset with Sebastian for a while 's been under a lot of pressure with making the Terra's Spring dinner party good 'cause Milord asked her to plan it this his first wife died, he and Sebastian tried to plan it, but it didn't turn out well just 'cause it made Milord depressed. _

_Though, with Lady Lucy in charge it relaxed Milord quite a bit and he was able to focus his efforts on the issues of the mainland. I wish I could have helped out Sebastian, though. I felt bad when I saw him struggling, but orders were orders. I didn't want to lose my job and Sebastian reassured me that he was okay, but I guess he wasn't. It was all because of Ameria that Lady Lucy got a little snippy for some reason. I guess Lady Lucy knew my little cousin in the past and Ameria didn't remember; that could have really made her really mad! Lady Lucy always gets mad when I forget things at least, so being forgotten must have pushed her buttons a bit. Luckily that soldier was there to help Sebastian so I didn't feel as guilty. He may have shoved me pretty hard, but I guess I deserved it in the end…_

"The soldier carrying the packages is a reoccurring link between the testimonies," Robin concluded thoughtfully.

"It was subtle, but there." Drake nodded as he moved about the room, shifting the candle's light to look in the dark corners of the chamber.

Ignoring the tacky posters pinned to the wall, he scanned the dark shadows for that one thing that would tie all his theories together. There didn't seem to be anything out of the normal, despite the posters. There was a small cot shoved in the corner and barrels piled up to the ceiling; in the past this must have been a storage room before it was converted a hidden chamber to worship in sinful pleasure. Then he noticed a small piece of black cloth got his attention.

Tilting his head to the side, Drake crouched down and tugged gently on the cloth and the barrels rattled in response. There was no time to waste, so he motioned with a hand for Robin to stand back and he yanked on the cloth and then quickly stepped out of the way. Barrels rained down onto the floor, cracking and breaking from the impact. Then a hole appeared, revealing the black cloth in full, draped over something to hide whatever was underneath.

Drake grabbed a fist full of cloth and pulled to expose the missing three packages.

Robin gasped and stepped forward, examining the contents curiously. "This look like reports..." She mumbled, leaning over to gingerly pick up one of the papers from the messy pile. "A report on the Terra Spring party you mentioned," then she looked towards ex-Marine in confusion. "Why would the culprit want to hide these, are they evidence to something?"

"Not entirely," Drake shook his head and waved a finger to the open boxes. "As you can see, the packages are opened and disturbed, which means the culprit wanted something inside. A majority was accounts of the Terra Spring party, which was Sebastian's doing because he wanted to plan the party in the way his old Mistress would. Though, I believe that wasn't the only thing in there."

"What else could be inside?" Robin mumbled the question more to herself that the ex-Marine. "Something that would make the culprit furious…" then she glanced around the room engulfed with posters, and her eyes opened wide. "Madame Lullá…"

"Exactly." Drake nodded his head shortly to the archeologist. "Sebastian hadn't been calling the mainland for only reports on the Terra's Spring party, but also dirt on Lady Lucy, or rather Madame Lullá, that would slander her."

"Hmm," Robin hummed with pursed lips in thought. "But didn't her husband know of her past?"

"Of course, that is how they met," Drake replied simply. "But not everyone knew, especially Joel."

"Joel?" Robin blinked her eyes. "Ameria's cousin?"

"It appeared that, despite her standoffish personality, Lady Lucy sincerely fell in love with Joel." Drake explained, and deep down inside he couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for the man. But he kept that thought to himself and continued on. "It might have been hard to tell, but it was true."

"So those are the things that she was hiding." Robin huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "And when you put everything together you see that the culprit would be angry with all three of them. The late lord for marrying Lady Lucy, Sebastian for trying to slander her, and Joel for being the lucky one." Then the archeologist's brows furrowed in confusion. "But then why was Lady Lucy dragged into this?"

"T'was a mistake on the murder's fault." Drake answered. "He didn't except, or even plan, for Lady Lucy to go back to the room, he probably wanted to be the one that discovered the scene, and being in charge he could make up evidence that would blame it entirely on Joel and Sebastian."

"But with Lady Lucy added into the mix things would be harder to conduct to his will." Robin smiled grimly. "Though it just that helped in our favor at least."

"Exactly," Drake nodded grimly in agreement. "Or else Ameria would have been killed as well."

"What?" Robin whipped her full attention to the ex-Marine and frowned.

Drake grimaced and closed his eyes, his hidden gaze cast to the floor. "Joel stole the heart of Madame Lullá. Prefect pay back was to steal the life of something just as precious."

* * *

The doctors had finally finished their analysis of the victim and had sent Brodie along to give their findings to Kidd and Drake, and also to tell Commander Vales that the body could be back in their hands again. The three medical experts had come to the conclusion that nothing else could be taken from the body to be of help, therefore it was best if it were to be laid to rest.

Though the cleanup procedure was interrupted when Brodie skidded to a halt in front of the open doorway of the surgical suite, completely out of breath. "C—Captain…!" The sound of his voice made the three doctors turn his way, Law paying the most attention as a single brow rose due to curiosity. Brodie inhaled sharply before he exhaled the next sentence hurriedly. "In the cleric's clinic, Ameria's hurt and—"

He didn't even get to finish the thought as surgeon bolted.

"_Petunia!_" Law snapped, and the nurse understood the silent order and before the surgeon ran out the door, she threw him a tiny medication bottle that he easily caught in one hand.

He pushed away members of his crew in the halls all the way to the deck, and he didn't stop when it came to the soldiers that tried to block his path. His heels dug into the mud coating the rocky ground of the Outpost and the surgeon was mildly surprise he didn't slip and fall flat on his face, but that didn't compare to the emotion that clouded his body and heart. He should have watched over Ameria in her condition. Without her magic she was defenseless. True she still had her father's dagger tucked away in her satchel for protection, but with her anxiety weighing her down, he found it hard to believe she would be in the state of mind to properly fend for herself. That is why he was so worried about her, and that is why he should have kept her close to his side.

The cleric's clinic was snug between the barracks and the headquarters of the Outpost, the large Celtic cross a dead giveaway to the fact that it was a medical surgeon burst through the door, preparing for the heels of his boots clicked rapidly against the tiled flooring as he rushed passed beds lining the walls, curtains hanging between each cot so there was a small amount of privacy. Briefly, he saw Sanji in one of the cots, the chef completely passed out with neon green stained bandages over his eyes.

There was a sudden throb of his heart against his ribs when he saw the side and the images of his beloved bone mage lying in a cot covered in gashes fresh with gallons of her blood; the thought brought back painful memories of that night in those crypts.

His heart was racing as he went further into the clinic, though now when he found her, it wasn't because of his pessimistic thoughts of death. The true image he saw wasn't anything that he considered better, and he felt his ears bursting with heat as his grip on the medication bottle tighten to the point where he heard a faint crack.

Ameria and Killer sitting too close of his comfort on the edge of the cot, and looked a little too cozy as well. His bone mage leaned over so her forehead pressed against her knees and her hands dug underneath the green wool of her laplander so her fingers fisted ebony locks tightly. Ameria was in a state of panic, and the masked blonde comforted her with a hand placed upon her back, the bare skin of his palm against her bare skin.

Law was undoubtedly the jealous type, especially when it came to the comfort of his bone mage when she was in need.

The surgeon stalked over to the bed, standing tall with a dark smirk upon his lips, the skin pulsing with a tiny twitch as he looked down upon the pair. "What are you doing?" Law directed the question to the masked blonde.

Killer looked up slowly, and bluntly replied: "What was asked of me."

That didn't make the surgeon feel any better and he was about to snap back something he so wouldn't have regretted later, but his thoughts were interrupted.

"I asked him to help," a new voice added to the mix, a calm feminine tone. "You must be the captain in charge of Lady Ameria. Trafalgar Law, as the redhead told me."

Law looked over his shoulder, seeing a woman clad in forest green robes. There was a look of peace upon her features, as if she was the embodiment of serenity itself. She stood tall despite her short height, her back straight and hands folded over her stomach. Her hair was pulled up in a tight bun atop her head to expose her pale neck, all together adding inched to her small posture.

"I treated her wound," the head cleric announced with a red painted smile. "It was only a minor gash and the scar should vanish within the week. Also," she added. "There was no hint of poison in her blood, but I applied the antidote just to be safe."

Law had no idea what the hell was going on; it's his punishment was enjoying a change of pace dismantling a corpse.

"Though it seems there is a large amount of stress building up in her soul." The cleric continued with a small frown and placed a hand over her heart. "I tried too sooth it with my magic, but she wouldn't allow me to use it. Sir Killer, told me you should be here soon and that you could handle it."

Law glanced towards the masked blonde briefly before nodding to the head cleric. "I have this under control now," he replied, his skin shifting against the thick plastic of the medication bottle as he moved his fingers anxiously. "Thank you for the help."

"It was my pleasure." The head cleric curtsied to the surgeon, pulling back the thick fabric of her robe and then returned it back to its normal state in one graceful motion. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have another patient to attend to," then she briskly turned on her heel and disappeared behind the curtain, the heels of her shoes fading away before they stopped altogether.

When the head cleric was gone, the masked blonde slapped his hands to his knees and with a grunt, rose from his seat. "My job is done," was all Killer said as he made his way passed the surgeon, bumping shoulders slightly.

The action was out of annoyance, and Law ignored it; Killer wasn't a stupid man and knew exactly how the surgeon had felt. Though Law wasn't going to apologize for his attitude either, they were are a standstill and it was best to leave it be. He had more important things to do than argue with the masked blonde.

Law didn't waste another moment and quickly took the masked blonde's place, sitting beside his bone mage. "It'll be okay, darling," he whispered as he leaned over to gently speak into her ear. "I have your medication, everything will be alright. I promise," then he placed a hand upon her bare back, rubbing her bare skin.

At the sound of his voice and the feeling of his touch, she relaxed dramatically. The tense muscles of her shoulder went lax and she slowly lifted her head. Her face had been buried in the yellow fabric of his old hoodie, hiding her blue eyes that were bloodshot and puffy.

She didn't say a word, she didn't even crack a smile when he cupped her cheek and gingerly kissed her brow.

That didn't deter him, however, and he turned to the bottle in hand. Turning the cap, there was a tip pop as air released and the plastic shifted due to the tiny crack along the side. He was going to need to replace the bottle, but that aside, he shook the bottle so one white pill fell into his palm. Then he handed his bone mage her medication.

Like a machine, Ameria took the pill and gulped it down, not even needing an ounce of water to help.

Law frowned when he saw no affect. Of course as a doctor he knew that's not how medication worked, but usually the thought of taking something good made people think they were better, there for they felt better. Exhaling lightly through his nose, he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close to his form. "There isn't much more I can do." He grimly told her. "You have a certain prescription and you can't overdose."

Still, she said not a peep, but she spoke with actions. She buried her nose into the crook of his neck, nuzzling against the fur collar of his sweater. Her fingers dug into the fabric as she closed what little gap was between them and then she swung her legs of his thighs.

Law finished her movements by pulling her into his lap, embracing her so all she felt was warmth, but deep down he felt it would do little to comfort her. He really hated that, but words wouldn't do much in a situation like this. It was hard to change the mind of someone who felt so useless with mere words.

* * *

Killer at his side, Kidd watched from the deck of his ship along with the members of the crew. They listened to the stern speak of Commander Vales as he walked to and fro along the edge of the gallows built over the bay of the Outpost. The commander spoke to his men, retelling the crimes of the murderer and traitor among them. The soldier, still unnamed remained that way, though he was in his last moments of life, he was considered dead to his country.

The murder stood in the center of the platform with blank look in his dark eyes, noose tied around his neck. The former soldier, stripped of his uniform was only wearing a tunic and trousers; he didn't seem to care or regret anything he did. It was best that they killed him not than let him life another day.

Then at the end of the commander's speech, Vales looked to the executioner. The tall, burly man with a black mask over his head had stood at attention until he was given his orders. Then he pulled the lever before him, and the floor beneath the murder disappeared and so did he.

Kidd could barely make out the body due to the shadows, but through the water's reflection he saw bare feet dangling in the wind.

The murderer was hung; simple as that.

The mystery of the murder was solved thanks to Drake and now they could finally get a move on. Aichki had gotten a somewhat okay from the Council, so at least they wouldn't be slaughtered upon arrive to RC.

Kidd turned away from the railing, Killer close behind as the duo made they were to the door nestled beneath the quarter deck. It was time to tell Gabriella the fantastic news that they would be leaving soon; she'd be happy to see her family again for sure. But as the two got closer and closer to the captain's quarter, they felt something was wrong.

"Where is everybody?" Kidd verbally spoke the question both of them had been asking silently to themselves.

Killer shrugged slowly and looked around. "They could be busy. All of them were watching the hanging after all."

"But Heat and Chamberlain started the preparations to leave before that," Kidd pointed out frankly. "We were interrupted by the hanging."

Killer was silent for a moment before bluntly asking. "Are you trying to make this worse for yourself?"

Kidd blinked. "It…it's _not_ bad." He answered, completely unsure of himself and it was painfully obvious.

Hesitantly, he looked to the doorknob and shakily opened it, cracking it just enough so he and his first mate could see inside.

Gabriella was curled up in a ball upon the bed, blankets wrapped around her and something small and fluffy that she had in her grasp. The two figured it was Benjamin the bear that got caught in her claws considered Hamish and Ezio were under the bed shaking in their skin. There was a dark cloud over her head, and there was an even darker aura radiating from the corner; it was so strong that it could peel skin from the bones of any poor soul that wasn't careful.

Captain's little pregnant girlfriend was in a bad mood.

Kidd gulped at the sight and slowly turned to face Killer, but he saw that the hall was empty save for himself. _That pussy_, he thought bitterly; he'd deal with the fucking blonde pansy later. Right now he had to deal with his summoner mage.

In the past, this wouldn't affect him too much and he would boldly march in and confront the issue. Now that she was with child, the story was completely different.

Cautiously, he walked into the room, making sure his footsteps didn't upset her even more. Then gingerly, he sat on the edge of the bed and hoped he had something up his sleeve that would make her feel better. He checked every pocket in his coat and pants and then he heard the faint crinkle of plastic and he prayed to God that it was what he thought it was and not just a piece of forgotten trash.

Then he took a moment of silence to think how to properly word his concern so not to spark her rage. Gently, he placed his mechanical hand atop her head and his metal finger tips running through her soft ginger locks.

"Are you feeling sick?" He asked. It was a simple question, but he felt it would strike up a venting spree.

However, but the expression of sheer murder on her face told him otherwise and he shouldn't have even begged for a chance of salvation. Though, Kidd pulled his hidden weapon from his coat pocket and there he inwardly sighed in relief when he saw it was a pack of lemon drops.

Gabriella calmed down at the sight instantly, her expression lightening though she still did not smile. Unfurling herself, she released Benjamin the bear from his prison, allowing the bear to scuttle his way off the bed and to the door for a quick escape. Gabriella didn't even notice that the cub was gone in a flash, her mind utterly absorbed in the lemony treat presented to her.

Plopping a few of the sour candies into her mouth, she mumbled a tiny: "No…" but Kidd could tell she was still in a state of complete misery. "I don't feel sick,_ but!_" she added sternly, a glare on her face as she wagged a finger in front of his face. "I'm sick of being treated this way!"

Kidd opened his mouth to ask what she meant, but he didn't get the chance to, and maybe it was better that way.

"I can't help with the murder investigate, though that was understandable when Killer brought up the poison, but I think I'm perfectly capable of doing normal tasks like walking up the gangway by myself, making my own food, getting a glass of water, carrying a book back to the room, getting the den-den mushi from the top self and fucking calling Calamity about the situation! It's not fair! You people make me feel so useless!" She ended her rant, glaring at the redhead like he was the one at fault.

Kidd blinked then pursed his lips in thought before he continued and then he simply responded with: "You aren't useless."

"Too bad that's how I feel." Gabriella huffed, turning her head away from him sharply and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Everyone's just making sure you have nothing to worry about," Kidd defended calmly and dared to lean closer so he could place a kiss to her cheek. "Just relax and be spoiled for a change."

Gabriella didn't reject the touch, but she was a little snippy with her a comeback. "That means you have to do all the laundry."

"…Only _our_ laundry." Kidd corrected firmly. "The fucking crew can do their own fucking laundry. They're grown ass men."

"…It still doesn't change anything." Gabriella sighed, glaring at the ceiling in distraught. "I feel useless when I see everybody busy at work and no one will let me do anything."

Kidd was silent and pursed his lips, the comment hitting him hard. "I'll keep that in mind," was all he said.

* * *

The ship traveled through the large vortex, the ocean seemingly like an endless path to adventure and mystery. The colorful clouds swirled around them, the entrance from the Outpost vanish from sight within seconds of entering the portal to the hidden magical island of West Blue.

Luffy gasped in awe, looking at the swirling cloud in awe. "Wow~!" the rubber captain shouted in excitement as he held his trademark hat to his head so it wouldn't fall off with the harsh winds. "This is so cool~!"

"So will it really take twelve hours like Kidd says?" Zoro asked as the swordsman leaned over the edge of the railing of the Thousand Sunny and then pointed ahead of them. "I think I see the exit already!"

"_Twelve hours!_" Usopp gasped in shock at the swordsman's commented, his eyes wide at the thought. "That's_ crazy!_ He must be lying! I know 'cause I'm an expert at it—I mean, _ahem_, that's not possible! Not even, I, the Great Captain Usopp, can bend time to his will yet!"

"I highly doubt it, Usopp." Robin giggled lightly as she admired the wonderful one and a lifetime view. "Commander Vales did mention it before we left the Outpost, after all."

"So when we get there it'll be night?" Franky asked with a deep frown and then shouted loudly. "_Not super!_ I wanted to take in the workmanship of the city built by magic!"

"Forget the city!" Nami snapped, a bright gleam of excitement in her eyes as she held the old worn leather bag of her equipment to her chest. "I want to chart the island! Do you think if I ask nicely I could? I need it for my world map, after all."

"I'm sure if you ask Ameria-chan she'll give you a tour, Nami-swan."

Nami's brown eyes opened wide and she whirled around, seeing the chef right behind her, the blonde looking as fine as a whistle. "_Oh, Sanji!_" She yelped, but with a smile of relief.

Everyone looked towards the quarter deck where the chef stood in a new black suit with matching black tie and exposed blue undershirt. They were all happy to see Sanji was well, but that didn't mean concern wasn't quick to follow.

"Are you feeling better already?" Robin was the first to express the shared feeling among crewmembers.

"Of course, Robin-chwan!" Sanji proudly stated, and pointed a finger to his eye. "It was only temporary!"

"_Yo, ho, ho, ho!_ That's good to hear." Brook laughed boisterously with a bony hand to his lean ribcage. "We need you in tip-top shape to fight any upcoming battles!"

"_W—why would we be fighting?!_" Usopp nearly shrieked in fear. "_Aren't we allowed on RC thanks to Aichki?!_"

"That could change, Usopp." Zoro bluntly stated.

Usopp visibly gulped at the thought, but any protest was shortly cast off.

"_Look, look!_" Chopper jumped up and down excitably with a smile, pointing straight ahead with a single hoof while the other held down his hat. "_**We're there!**_"

All heads turned to the exit of the vortex, the four sea baring vessels leaving the portal to enter the bay of Pompeii, Gabriella's home. The city was made of what looked like white marble built out of the cliff side, craved with a chisel and hammer by the hands of the country's gods. The setting sun of day cast dense shadows over the building, late evening only highlighting every window filled with lanterns or candles. As the sea vessels got closer and closer, they could see the decorative craftsmanship that made Franky and Usopp whistle in awe. It was years of untouched history and art.

Luffy was beaming with excitement and he couldn't stay still anymore. Quickly, her jumped up from his seat on the figurehead of Sunny and whirled his rubbery arm up while shouting: "_Gum-Gum—!_"

"_L—Luffy!?_"

"_Don't you dare!_"

"_Not again~!_"

"_**ROCKET!**_" The rubber captain roared and then let off his fist, his arm casting off so his fist latched onto something at Pompeii's harbor. He flew through the air, laughing all the way until he snapped onto the sturdy wood of one of the docks. He grinned and looked around, one hand on his hand and the other planted on his hip.

_Whoosh~_ silence.

"_Oi!_" Luffy yelled with a baffled frown. "It's really quiet."

"That's because Calamity made it so in the twelve hours it took you to get here."

When someone answered him, he looked around in confusion until his eyes landed upon a familiar face, or rather mask.

And with a smile, he shouted: "_**Sane!?**_"

* * *

**So, having doubts about Origins. I have many odd or maybe bad feelings about, like I'm beating a dead horse with a stick. But on a happy note, here is the Christmas mini.**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

Christmas Mini:

The snow was fresh, piling up high and it was undisturbed, that it until the barking of dogs came to ear. Three burly huskies pulled a sled, the group trotting easily through the snow as a tall man dressed in winter clothing stood on the back. The man leaned over the railing lazily while another man bundled up in winter gear walked alongside the slow paced sled.

"Law, you'll break it if you don't treat it properly."

"No, I won't."

"Yes, you will. It's old, you know that."

"And that's exactly why it won't break. Remember what Dad used to do to this thing, Justice?"

Justice sighed and shook his head, leaving the argument alone; it was utterly pointless.

Law seemed to feel the same way as he reached a hand down to a tiny bundle of blankets resting upon the sled. "How you doing, Tanner?"

When he heard his name, the two year old looked around and glanced up at his papa. The only visible thing being his blue eyes that blinked repeated at his papa's grey ones. Then, to respond to the question, Tanner sneezed.

Law chuckled lightly. "I'll take that as you want to go home now," he guessed with a smirk as he tapped his little boy on the nose with the tip of his gloved finger. "But we have to wait a little be longer, ducky. Mama has to finish wrapping things up."

Justice glanced at his younger brother in annoyance. "You're hilarious."

Law merely smirked and he even opened his mouth to respond, but other one replaced his.

"_Tanner!_"

It was the unmistakable voice of the young Caden, the boy barely running through the snow on his tiny legs. That is until his monstrous form of a father picked him up and placed him on his shoulders. Eustass Kidd and his comrade Killer looked absolutely constricted in winter coats; it almost looked like they were forced on by a certain ginger madame that wouldn't take no for an answer. Maybe the two were also told to go on stroll with their children while Gabriella finished up the wrapping.

Better not to ask considering Caden and Daniel were old enough to understand and last thing Law wanted to do was ruin the two boys Christmas and ones to come.

When Kidd and Killer finally reached the sled, he placed little squirmy Caden back on the ground so he could see Tanner. Caden tromped through the snow to Tanner, Daniel right behind the little ginger to make sure the four-year old to fall face first into the snow. Considering by the redness of Caden's tan cheek, it seemed like he had done it a lot already. Then the little ginger climbed up onto the sled, a grin on his lips as he greeted the two-year old. In response, Tanner sneezed and then reached on his little arms to squish Caden's cheeks and the little ginger merely laughed in return.

Law chuckled at the sight, it was admittedly adorable. "Do you two want to go for a ride on the dog sled with Tanner?" he found himself asking.

Caden's jaw hung open and there was a gleam of excitement in his golden eyes and he eagerly nodded and settled up beside Tanner, ready to go. Daniel, more politely, mumbled and a yes, sir and then gingerly climbed onto the sled and sat behind Caden and Tanner to hold the two younger boys in place.

Law was ready to push off, but he was suddenly stopped.

"Whoa, whoa, _whoa._" Kidd held up his hand to stop the presses. "_You're_ driving this thing?" he asked Law, pointing a finger to the sled.

"Yes," Law answered simply, his brow arched in confusion. "Don't trust me?"

"Absolutely not." Kidd was blunt.

Law rolled his eyes and tsked at the comment. "Then who else will take them? Do tell, Mister Eustass."

"I can," Justice interjected, and the looks of utter rejection by the redhead and his own brother made him quickly continue. "For the children," and he waved a hand to the three kids sitting upon the sled with puppy dog eyes. Then he looked to Killer for help. "And you don't mind, right?"

Killer shrugged. "I don't," thankfully someone was on his side.

Law didn't like the idea, but it was for the kids. Therefore he stepped down and allowed his older brother to takeover.

Justice took the reins, the team of three dogs that had been waiting for order were now ready to go. Bepo at the lead was standing at attention, the leader of the pack vigilant as always while Tanker, the drunken huskie barked away aimlessly for someone to notice him and Shnell the exact opposite remained always silent and followed the leader.

Then Justice took off, giving the three boys the thrill of riding on a dog sled around the field for a few minutes, but then Tanner stated to sob at all the bitterness of the cold against his exposed skin. It was time to turn back and when they returned them came to the odd sight of Kidd and Law both lying in piles of snow and Killer's back facing it all.

Curiously, Justice asked: "What happened?"

Slowly, Killer looked over his shoulder, an in annoyance replied: "No idea," and then looked away.


	6. Chapter 6: A long Jounrey

**There are probably mistakes...I'm sorry for this. I have been playing an online game called Neverwinter for three days and it has consumed my life. I even forgot to put the author's note up here... Now I gotta get back to the dungeons!**

* * *

Chapter 6: A Long Journey

"_Look! Look, guys!_" Luffy waved a hand frantically above his head, his free hand atop his hat to keep the woven straw in place while he jumped up and down on the dock with excitement. "_It's Sane!_" the rubber captain yelled to the others once the four sea vessels dropped anchor, and then he pointed to the minor necromancy deity. The tip of his elastic finger invaded the personal space of the magical being's face and he repeated: "_It's Sane!_"

Sane wasn't bothered by the rubber captain's enthusiasm and merely watched as the four crews ignored Luffy for the time being. Most of the men—and tiny amount of women—spared a glance, but then they went straight to work with settling in for a long stay at the harbor. Though, the minor deity noticed the inhabitants clustered on decks spend most of their time sneaking glances of the famed capital of Comoinis, Pompeii.

Pompeii was an old city, one built on decorative architecture and art that grew upon century after century. It would be a rather impressive sight since in the outside world there were attacks from pirates and government officials constantly. But, Sane traveled with the Straw Hats; Pompeii better have a good cleanup crew.

The minor deity smirked at the thought, the expression of amusement spreading all the way up to the thick stone of his skull mask. It made his tummy all fuzzy from the idea of the innocent citizens getting a good shake of the outside world.

And speaking of fuzzy things… The minor deity's head perked up when he saw the familiar sight of his beloved crew—he considered himself a member of course—and he held up a hand, saluting to the one and only Trafalgar Law, his Fuzzy Hatted Captain.

Law noticed the action from the corner of his eye, his brow arching in curiosity at the sight of the minor deity, but Sane was ultimately ignored. His attention was on Gabriella and Kidd; the aggravated redhead was trying to pry the blissful ginger away from smothering a baffled polar bear to death. There was a bit of barking coming from Kidd, something about hugging Benjamin, but Sane's gaze was ripped away from the humorous encounter to the bone mage strolling over.

"_Oi!_ Ameria!" Luffy grinned, slapping a hand to the bone mage's shoulder blade, and repeated that same phrase to the point where it was becoming a chant. "It's Sane!"

Ameria flinched at the rough impact of the rubber captain's open palm against her bare skin, but she shrugged it off and just stared at him, blinking her eyes.

Sane eyed her for the odd behavior, but then the tiniest mewl from her arms made the minor deity gasp in shock. "_Glory~!_" He squealed happily and snatched the tiny kitty from the bone mage's arms to cuddle the furry little thing. "Oh, how I missed you _so, so, so, so, so, so much~!_"

Ameria blinked, watching the magical being coddle her kitten; it had been a long three months since she last saw him do this.

"You really like your kitties, don't you, Sane." Luffy snickered at the sight.

"Oh, yes I do~!" Sane purred along with the purr of the tiny cat in his hands. "I missed my kitty just as much as I missed Bas—" then suddenly the minor deity paused sharply in his mindless thought and looked to the bone mage with a puzzled frown. "Where's Bas, anyway?"

A dull glaze instantly crossed the blue eyes of the bone mage, Ameria her gaze cast to her toes as her fingers subconsciously brushed against the metal choker around her neck.

"Ah." Sane nodded grimly. "The choker. I forgot about that."

"_Eh?_" Luffy spoke up, his brow arched in confusion and he experimentally poked the decorative metal around the bone mage's neck. "What about this?"

Sane could tell by the attitude of the bone mage that she didn't want to discuss the choker any more than she must have already. For once, the minor deity kept his trap shut tightly, and instead tried to turn the bone mage's frown upside down. "Hey, Monkey~" Sane purred and reached out to point Ameria square in the forehead with the point of his long red nail. "I think I can wake up one of my children for you~!"

Ameria's eyes opened wide at the statement, her hands instantly gripping the strap of her satchel until her knuckles turned white.

"Only one though," Sane clarified and waved a single finger in front of the bone mage's face.

Ameria shifted back and forth on her heels, biting her lower lip in thought as she twisted the thick leather in her grip tightly.

Sane didn't like the long pause from the bone mage considering the answer was painfully obvious. Rolling his eyes, though the action was hidden by his mask, he said: "Bas," but at the same time someone answered differently from behind.

"Lin."

Sane was at attention when he heard the familiar voice and he whipped around, coming face to face with his sister, the deity of summoner's magic. "Calamity? What are you doing here?" The necromancy deity inquired curiously. "Don't you have a school to look after."

"Jovus is taking care of things in my absence." Calamity replied, flipping a lock of long ebony hair over her shoulder that was misplaced by the wind. "Plus, I don't necessarily trust you to handle things properly."

"_Pffft!_" Sane pouted and crossed his arms over his chest in offense. "I think I can handle things just fine!"

"Like picking Bas over Lin?" Calamity eyed her brother curiously, hands planted on her hips. "Lin is the better choice, she is the new deity among us since Genie's death."

"_Hmph,_" Sane scoffed, turning his nose to the air. "I knew that."

"Of course you did," Calamity humored him, and then she waved a hand towards the bone mage. "Now awaken Lin, we need her for the balance."

Sane grumbled under his breath, holding out a hand to the bone mage and waved his fingers in a silent order for the vessel. Ameria merely nodded her head and quickly flipped open the flap of her satchel then pulled out Lin's vessel, the tiniest among them save for Rin's small dragon skull. The necromancy deity rolled the skull between his palms, feeling the smooth cartilage against his skin. The warm of his magic flooded his veins as his hands began to glow grey and he chanted a short spell quietly to himself. The vessel reacted, and tiny burst of air suddenly shocking those within range. The bone mage nearly jumped out her skin at the sound that that startled her and the rubber captain merely snickered at her reaction. From afar, the sound seemed to help a certain redhead remove his little ginger girlfriend from an uncomfortable polar bear, and also drew the attention of the surgeon.

Law strolled over, sliding his presence behind his bone mage and looked over her shoulder to sneak a peek at what the necromancy deity was doing.

"There." Sane huffed and then handed the vessel back to the bone mage. "She's probably groggy so she won't say anything for a few hours, maybe a day."

Ameria nodded and gingerly held the vessel close to her chest, a ghost of a smile on her lips.

"With that settled, let's continue on." Calamity smoothly moved the conversation along, looking towards the surgeon and rubber captain. "Since you are the ones that are in charge. I believe we have a few minor things to discuss."

"_Wait!_" Luffy chimed in, a tiny frown pulling at the corner of his lips. "There's Drake and Kidd, too! We gotta get 'em!"

"I think Mister Eustass is currently…_preoccupied,_ Straw Hat." Law cut in, his gaze glancing to the side where he saw the wild mane of the redhead among the members of his crew on deck, and the upset summoner mage thrown over his shoulder wailing her fists against his broad back. "We'll have to give him the details later."

"We still need Drake!" Luffy was being stubborn and he swiftly turned on his heel and reared back his fist, twisting his elastic limb and then shot it off like a rocket. There was a look of concentration on the rubber captain's face as he stuck out his tongue and licked his upper lip, but then his knotted brows sprung up and her grinned. He pulled back his arm, snapping Drake into his side so they both tumbled to the ground.

Law ushered his bone mage out of the way so neither of them would be caught up in fall, but the actions of the rubber captain caused Sane to teeter with laughter.

Sane hollered at the amusement of seeing the infamous ex-Marine in a dizzy state due to a rubber captain not even half his size. The necromancy deity held his stomach tightly as he lost balance, falling backwards into a pile of barrels, but he didn't give a damn. "This'll be quite the adventure! Eh, Calamity?"

Calamity disagreed with the comment considering she was going have to go through all the hard work. But there was nothing she could do, they needed to get underway with the mission for Mortalitas. However, as she watched the rubber captain shoot up from his spot underneath the bulky form of the ex-Marine to Sane and then questioned the minor deity about adventure, she sighed deeply.

This was going to be one _very_ long adventure.

* * *

Gabriella tugged Kidd's mechanical arm full force, pulling the false limb with all her strength, but the redhead was being truly stubborn. From port, through the streets of Pompeii; together they made quite the scene that made children giggle and adults stare. The summoner mage struggling to get her boyfriend to stop digging his heels into the ground.

Personally, she thought he would have been more aggressive and dominated her, throwing her over his shoulder once more after the little incident at the docks. Maybe because she was pregnant he went easier on her.

But, despite being gentle with her and the budding life within, he was still in sour mood all because she wanted to give Bepo a little hug. She loved bears, nothing wrong with that. Kidd may have labeled it a fetish, but with just one little threat about his life being a living hell for the remaining five months of her pregnancy made him shut up real fast. Though, his actions were against her nonetheless.

"_Kidd!_" She snapped, practically clinging to his arm as he lifted his mechanical limb so her feet dangled two feet from the ground. "_Stop being a stubborn pain in the ass, you son of a bitch!_"

A growl rumbled from deep within his throat and he sneered at her, a dark look in his amber eyes. The dark aura made the tiny cluster of farmers on the outside of the city scatter in nervousness due to the dynamic duo of Eustass _Captain_ Kidd and Caden's Heir being rather upset at each other. The tension was thick enough that if rubbed the wrong way a blaze would set half the city and farmlands aflame in a flash.

Though, Kidd didn't say a words and merely grabbed the wool fabric of her cardigan with his freehand and pried her away from his mechanical limb then placed her feet back on the ground. He stood there like a statue, undeterred about moving another inch unless it was on his own freewill.

Gabriella scowled at him, her golden eyes narrow and sharp until they were able to pierce the weak of heart, but Kidd didn't so much flinch. Huffing, she turned sharply on her heel and wandered off on her own; she knew the lay of the land and was perfectly fine on her own.

The serenity of the woods was nice to clear the aggravated nerves of her mind and she was able to inhale and exhale to calm herself. Her mind had a simple flow, her thoughts able to keep up without getting heated with rage. She blamed it mostly on hormones for her snappy insults when she was angry and she knew she'd have to apologize to Kidd for calling him an ass and also a son of a bitch. But, really, she couldn't understand why he was being so stubborn with seeing her folks.

It wasn't like it was the first meeting anyway; he already met them and even got daddy's approval. Maybe it was nervousness instead of stubbornness; when the thought crossed her mind, she stopped and pondered the idea. By the expression on his face she highly doubted Kidd was nervous in any way, shape or form. He was just pissed at her. Yes, she nodded to herself, he was pissed at her. More the reason to apologize, but she'd do that when he calmed down a bit.

_Snap_.

She yelped, startled by the sound behind her and whipped around expecting the worst. But then she sighed in relief when she saw the familiar face. "Nearly gave me a heart attack, y'know?"

Kidd's expression never changed, a seeming blank look on his features as he brushed away tiny twigs and loose leaves from the fur on his broad shoulders. However, there was a tiny glint in his eye that made her question her former logic, the logic of Kidd being nervous.

She eyed him curiously, cautiously going up to him like he was some wild animal, and Kidd merely stared at her like she was blatantly crazy. She ignored his scrutinizing gaze, and instead got on her tippy-toes so she could press her hands against the bare skin of his pecks and then she stared at him long and hard.

Kidd's eyes narrowed in confusion, his brows knotting together as his head leaned away from her uncomfortably. "What?" He drew out slowly, a tiny hint of annoyance hidden in his tone.

Gabriella's stare only became more intense when she saw the tiny glimmer fading away the more his emotions shifted. Before they disappeared, she grabbed the fur upon his shoulders and then jumped, wrapping her legs around his waist and stumbled with the sudden action, but his arms instantly went around her to support her form.

Then the summoner mage gently slapped the palms of her hands to his cheeks, cupping them so they were forced to lock eyes while she bluntly asked: "Are you nervous?"

Kidd's head jerked back in surprise at the questioned that seemed out of the blue to him. "The fuck?" The glimmer vanished from sight and his amber eyes only held a gleam of sharp annoyance. "No, why the hell would I be?"

The summoner mage's brow quirked, and she eyed him curiously. "Because we're gonna tell my parents about the pregnancy."

Apparently Kidd had no idea about their destination, the whole reason she was dragging him through town, and his already pale skin went sheet white at the thought. "We're doing that now?" He questioned slowly, the tiniest crack in his voice. "This minute?"

Gabriella was highly amused by his reaction and giggle with a fair smirk on her lips as she tapped his nose gently with the tip of her finger. "Of course~" she sweetly sung. "My old man has been waiting years for this moment."

Kidd pursed his lips and his brows furrowed in unsure thought. "Can't we do that some…other time?" the redhead then asked slowly, his words slowly fading together in a long slur. "I think we have more import things to worry about, like this Mortalitas mission an' all? Calamity's gonna get back to us soon and then we'll need to go off on some journey and whatnot. So talking to your folks can't be added into a mix of things 'cause they'll just worry an' stuff, y'know?"

Blinking silently for a moment to take in the messy explanation, Gabriella answered frankly before he could interject with another out of the question option: "No," and then she demanded: "Carry me there," so the conversation was reverted to something different, and the redhead easily took the bait.

"No!" Kidd objected and tried to pry her clingy form from the front of his body. "I ain't carrying you like this through the fucking woods!"

Gabriella refused to speak and instead tightened her grasp around his neck and then buried her nose to the crook of his neck. Kidd knew he wasn't about to get anything else out of her and resorted to grumbling curses under his breath as he embraced her tiny form to keep her in place while he grudgingly trudged forward.

The summoner mage leisurely watched as the forest scenery passed by while Kidd slowly walked along the trail leading to her family villa deep within the woods. Strangely, when she saw the dense tree line, a nostalgic feeling made her stomach flutter. Then again, it wasn't all that strange since this was her home.

She closed her eyes, the soft sounds of leaves crumbling underfoot, the rustle of the wind through the treetops. The sweet smell of the forest, the lush grass and the withering bark, and there was also the distance scent of firewood burning invaded her nostrils. The warmth of a fireplace was always welcoming, and the thought of firewood made her suddenly think of food. Instantly, she got hungry; her mouth salivated and her stomach felt hollow. She was that Kidd didn't hear her tummy rumble.

"I really want roast beef~" Gabriella whined, pouting lightly as she smothered her face to the fur of Kidd's coat; by Mortalitas, she felt like Straw Hat now.

"…Roast beef?" Kidd repeated slowly.

"Is that weird to you or something?" Gabriella huffed in annoyance, and to show it—besides her tone of voice—she grabbed a fist full of his hair ant then pulled the crimson locks.

Kidd grunted as his head was jerked back lightly, grumbling a few choice words under his breath, and he was lucky she could hear them well. "No," he then roughly replied, shaking his head of her hand. "You usually crave lemon related things. Roast beef is a new one."

"Mom makes really yummy roast beef…" Gabriella murmured childishly, explaining her sudden change in pregnancy food. "With gray, cooked green beans, carrots and even mushrooms..."

Kidd merely grunted. "Y'know talking about food only makes you hungrier."

Gabriella merely whined in return. "I wonder if she'll make me some…"

"Why don't you ask her yourself," Kidd suggested and then his hold on her loosened.

Willingly, Gabriella dropped to the ground on her own two feet and then turned around, knowing from Kidd's comment that they had arrived. There stood the villa she grew up in, her home. The tall two story building that had seen better days, but in the soft sunlight of late afternoon it looked cheerful and bright despite all the wooden boards covering each and every window.

Her father and mother were both outside; dad high up on a ladder nailing boards over the second story windows that needed them, and mom in the garden tending to the roses and lilies that were in need of care.

Gabriella could barely hold her excitement, a smile wide on her lips as she saw her family once more. Then she grabbed Kidd by the hand, ready to make a make dash, but was instantly jerked back when he wouldn't move. It was like he was rooted in place with the trees around him and he frowned, shaking his head and silently told her to go ahead with a weak wave of his hand.

The summoner mage let him wallow in his nervousness that he'd never admit; he'd get over it eventually. Then she rushed over to her parents, her mother being the first to spot her. Roland Missy looked up from her garden, pink eyes wide and she opened her mouth to call out to her, but she was interrupted when the summoner mage leaped over the bushes and tackled her. Gabriella embraced the special warmth of her mother, smothering her face to her mother's bosom, the dirt from the green dress she wore transferring to the summoner mage's crimson one.

Finally, Missy regained her composure, but there was still a crack in her voice as she called out her daughter's name in excitement, which drew her husband into the mix.

The large burly man whirled around in his unstable seat atop the ladder, the sound of his daughter's name causing a grin to appear on his lips. But the action made him lose his balance, Missy and Gabriella both gasping in fright as they watched the burly man tumbled backwards and fall into the shrubs with a loud thud.

Hurriedly and worriedly, the summoner mage and her mother scurried from the ground and rushed to the bushes, both women quick to try and help the old man up. But Roland Jacoby emerged from the leaves like a jack-in-the-box, and successfully scared the wits out of his wife. Not that Jacoby necessarily noticed since he embraced his daughter, sandwiching dirt and twigs between them.

He squeezed the living daylights out of the summoner mage, the smile still plastered on his lips even when he pulled away, hands on her shoulders. Then, he proceeded to ask: "Why are you here so suddenly, eh?"

With a smile, Gabriella said the good news.

Missy gasped, hands flying to cover her gapping mouth and Jacoby's golden eyes went wide, his jaw going slack.

It wasn't the reaction she was hoping for, especially from her father. She was expecting a happier expression not the stern one, the stern one directed entirely at Kidd.

"_**Kidd!**_" Jacoby bellowed at the top of his boisterous lungs to the redhead, making Kidd flinch at the gruff tone of voice that ordered him around. "_**Get over here!**_"

Kidd froze. He remained still, a pale look on his already pale face. There was a rapid debate in his amber eyes that said either to fight or flight, but being who Kidd was, he stood his ground.

Jacoby huffed at the silent defiance. "_**Then I'll come to you, bugger!**_" he then hollered, shaking a fist towards the redhead as he marched over.

Kidd slinked away from the supposedly angry father that got closer and closer, his stance shifting into something defense, just in case. Then he flinched when Jacoby stood before him and slapped his large hands onto the redhead's shoulders.

There was a long silence as Jacoby stared at Kidd intensely, and Kidd dared not say a word. Then suddenly, the burly man moved, pulling Kidd closer so he could place a sloppy kiss to both of his cheeks and then Jacoby smothered Kidd's face to his chest lovingly, patting his crimson locks gently.

Missy blinked in stunned shock at the odd spectacle her husband just preformed on the baffled redhead, and she could only imagine the expression Kidd had on his face; and how happy he was that only a minimal amount of people saw it. "My word…" She mumbled under her breath. "I'm getting that nagging feeling that this is the start of a very long journey for this family—"

Missy was interrupted by Gabriella laughing wildly, tickled pink at the sight. Tears collected at the corners of her eyes and she held her stomach, but that didn't help her balance as she fell over into the bushes.

* * *

The clop of hooves against the patted mud road echoed through the trees along with the soft snoring of a polar bear as the three ponies pulled the creaky wooden wagon slowly through the woods. Aichki held the reins, his student sitting by his side, but the stare of the surgeon was forever on their backs as Law watched from the back of the cart.

The grandmaster glanced over his shoulder, indeed seeing Law look right back at him as the surgeon was sandwiched between Joel and Sebastian, the two men sleeping away soundly with their heads resting against his shoulder. Law didn't look pleased with the situation, especially since it was already cramped enough with Bepo lying in the middle taking up all the leg room. Aichki could only shrug with an apologetic smile and then quickly look away; it wasn't his fault that the wagon only had two seats up front.

Though, Law had been in a bad mood for a while now since Joel unintentionally used Ameria to get him and Sebastian safe passage to Regnum carcere. The guard only wanted to escort the now retired butler safely to Fort Lock; now Law really couldn't have said no with Ameria standing right next to him. The only break he had was a small laugh at the argument between Kidd and Gabriella, then it got worse.

More sparks of aggravation from the talk with Calamity, which was like a teacher telling four delinquents, with the four completely missing, not to get in trouble or else there was going to be a punishment. He didn't like being treated like a child nor having the rules repeated to him again and again. Plus, he didn't like that fact that they learned little of Mortalitas's plan due to the fact that the dark god was busy among other things.

Law was at the end of his rope now that he was stuffed in the back of the cart in such a state with the unwelcome company, but there was nothing the grandmaster could do about it. Joel and Sebastian needed to get to Fort Lock, and then there was Drake and his first mate Carter. Why Drake wanted to come was beyond anyone, but he said something to the bone mage that made her one this side; another thing that ticked Law off just a bit.

So, while the remainders of the alliance waited at Pompeii for the summoning deity to speak with the dark god, Aichki and his pack went on their way to Fort Lock, then on his own, he would go to Cappadocia, the capital of Novellus to speak with the Council. Aldon had been furious at the request, but upon speaking to Grandmaster Rilon about the situation, the head councilman surprising agreed to the terms and an audience with the grandmaster. It was a shock to them both, but it was a good shock for the alliance, nonetheless.

The journey was long, the spotted path of sunlight pouring through the leaves faded from yellow to orange of a course of time. Then suddenly the light disappeared altogether, the pale moon and stars faded glow barely reaching through the treetops. Ameria turned on the tiny oil lantern dangling above the ponies trotting away, the flame flickering against the glass with each bump the wheels took. Despite the long journey—and the death glare boring into his back—the grandmaster would admit it was a rather smooth trip…

…But even if the grandmaster didn't say that aloud, fate still played her nasty trick on them.

The ponies suddenly became frightened, the animals shuffling backwards quickly and refusing to take another step forward. The wagon teetered wildly from being shoved backwards, the occupants shaken from the sleep, save for Bepo who only snorted before snoring loudly once more.

Law shot up in a heartbeat, slamming his foot between the grandmaster and the bone mage, the hilt of his nodachi tight in his grip and his tattooed fingers twitching eagerly. Drake rose as well, the ex-Marine standing tall with a scowl on his features, but his first remained seated, trying to help Joel calm down Sebastian from having a heart attack.

The dark of night hide the woodlands well, but the grandmaster knew what spooked the ponies thanks to the jittery light of the lantern. A single bolt embedding into the dirt of the road. That left only one possible explanations: bandits.

The rugged man emerged from the underbrush and treetops, the men dressed in worn leathers to hide their movement during the night. Each man was armed to the teeth with daggers decorating the straps across their chests, and swords or crossbows in hand, the weapons ready to strike at any sign of resistance. Images were painted on their scarred and bruised skin with black pain, the designs distorted by sneers and smirks on their lips.

From the masses of bandits came the leader, the man taller and bulkier than the rest and he wore light chainmail that jingled when he strolled forward with a battle-ax firm in hand. The bandit leader stood before the three frightened ponies, a frown on his stern features as he gruffly said: "You know the routine. All the values now belong to us, so hand them over."

Then a shady looking figure beside the bandit leader rubbed his hands together, a sly smirk spreading along his lips as he nudged his leader in the arm with his elbow. "Hey, hey, can we take the girl with us?" He asked, licking his lips as his eyes wildly investigated the bone mage's form. "She has fantastic legs, hehehehehe."

Ameria slinked back with a disgusted expression on her features when she heard the not-so-great compliment. Law didn't like it one bit either, it was painfully obvious by the pale skin of his knuckles and his hand moving to whip out his blade, but he was stopped. The hissing of a bolt rang through the air, and Law tilted his head to the side quickly, his eyes wide when the sharp edge grazed against the skin of his cheek.

"_Tch,_ he's a fast one," another bandit tsked, a disappointed look on his face as he stood by the bandit leader's side with crossbow in hand. But then he turned to his comrade who spoke of kidnap, his brows furrowed in annoyance. "Y'know that's not how we roll," then he paused, lips pressed in deep thought when he looked at the bone mage. "Plus…I get a bad idea about feeling about her…"

"You should." Drake dared to speak in the hostile situation, a faint smirk on his lips. "She is Burgrate's daughter, after all."

The mood was suddenly turned upside down. Every hardcore bandit that had seen fight after fight, years of bloodshed turned into nothing but whiny puppies that wanted to cower in corners in the farthest part of the world. Some of them even fled with tails between their legs. The bandit that dared suggest to kidnap Ameria and do unthinkable things to her turned into a ghost; his tan skin turned white and his eyes popped from their sockets in shock. Then he hightailed it out of there as fast as he could.

The bandit leader also lost all composure, the large man dropping his weapon and started to sweat bullets. "Burgrate's….daughter…" he repeated slowly, his gruff tone full of cracks. "Now let's be reasonable here…"

"I'd rather not," Law blurted out coldly, still itching to draw his blade.

"Hey, hey, hey!" The bandit leader put up his hands and tried to reason with them because he knew it he escaped death here, it would just come to him later. "Why don't we escort you to Fort Lock? That's what an upstanding citizen would do, right, right?" and he looked around to his men, every bandit that had the balls to stay nodded their heads mechanically in agreement.

Law opened his mouth to reject the offer, but the grandmaster stopped him.

"Sure, why not." Aichki shrugged indifferently.

The bandits were relieved that they would a chance for salvation, but Law didn't agree in the slightest. While the others in the wagon settled back down for the remainder of the journey, Law still stood, glaring down at the grandmaster. His mood was at its peak and it would remain like that for a while. Then Law moved, plopping down into the tight space between the grandmaster and bone mage.

"Trafalgar—" Aichki grunted when the butt of the surgeon's nodachi rammed into his cheek. "—there's no room."

Law's eyes narrowed towards the grandmaster, a twitchy smirk on his lips. "Deal with it, Mister Aichki," he snapped, still with the grin on his lips and then he pulled the grandmaster's cheek. "Since that is what _best friends_ do."

Aichki grunted, turning his head away from the surgeon's harsh grip. Yeah, Law was pissed and the rest of this trip was going to be a rather long one.

* * *

The foggy white mist surrounded the summoning deity, Calamity calmly walking through the haze that seemed to solidify into marble stone. An archway then appeared before her, and without a second glance the summoning deity waltzed.

Her bare skin felt the chill of tiles underneath her feet and her gaze took in the familiar sight of the balcony overlooking a sea of white clouds that rolled violently like a leviathan surfacing constantly against the surface of the ocean. Then standing at the railing was the god dark himself; Mortalitas.

The dark god was absorbed by the sight, the thick fabric of his cloak rustling in the wind along with the feathers around his collar. "Hello, Calamity," Mortalitas then turned to her, his glowing red eyes soft from behind the shadow cast by his helm.

Calamity bowed her head to her god in respect while saying. "Greeting's Milord."

Mortalitas sighed deeply and shook his head. "You don't have to be so formal with me," he told her as he calmly strolled over to her, placing a gauntleted hand to her head. "I am your father, after all."

Calamity sighed in return and removed her mask, revealing her sharp golden eyes turned to the floor. "It is habit now," she replied with a frown. "Ever since then, Sane and I decided it was best to keep people in the dark about it."

"_Hmm._" Mortalitas huffed, ruffling his child's long ebony locks. "I understand your decision, but at least treat me like a father when we are alone. You are almost as bad as Sane is."

"We can talk about that later," Calamity bluntly said, which made her old man frown. "Right now we have to discuss the situation, what is the next step in your mission?" the summoning deity questioned. "Your pieces are in place in Regnum carcere, now what will you have them do?"

Mortalitas was silent for a moment, slowly turning his attention back to the vast sea of cloudy waves. "Healing Tree," was all he said.

* * *

**Beta read by praeses**


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